Soil series profile
Laredo soil series
Laredo is a well drained soil with a silty clay loam surface, mapped on 88,720 acres in 3 counties in TX. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 87% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 94% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 8.2 moderately alkaline · range 8.2–8.2
- Mapped area
- 89k acres in 3 counties, 1 state
Typical Laredo profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–18 in (Ap) | Silty clay loam | 8.2 | 30% | 18% | 2% |
| 18–41 in (Bk) | Silt loam | 8.2 | 25% | 12% | 0.65% |
| 41–80 in (Bk/C) | Silty clay loam | 8.4 | 28% | 18% | 0.3% |
What this means
What Laredo soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Laredo soils is moderately alkaline: pH 8.2. Acid-loving plants such as blueberries and azaleas struggle without amended beds, and some trees and shrubs show iron chlorosis (yellow leaves with green veins).
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 94% of mapped Laredo acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silty clay loam (69% of mapped Laredo acres).
100% of mapped Laredo acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 14% of the acres in mapped Laredo soils very limited, 80% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (6% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Flooding is mapped on 82% of the acres (0% occasional, 0% frequent).
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Laredo soil is found
Mapped acres
Laredo is mapped in Texas.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron County, TX | 86,351 | 14.2% |
| Hidalgo County, TX | 1,692 | 0.2% |
| Maverick County, TX | 677 | 0.1% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Laredo acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 80.3% |
| Very limited | 13.5% |
| Not rated | 6.2% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Laredo acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 3.6 feet (43 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Mapped as flooding on 82% of acres (0% occasional, 0% frequent).
- Slope
- Typically 0–0% (median 0%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 86.5% |
| Moderately well drained | 13.5% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 93.8% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.0% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 6.2% |
Sources & data dates
- Source
- USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), queried through Soil Data Access. Public domain.
- Data date
- SSURGO as published on November 3, 2026 (most recent survey area update October 26, 2026). NRCS refreshes SSURGO each October.
- Scope
- All map unit components named Laredo (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 88,720 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Laredo components. The profile comes from the single largest Laredo component. Full methodology.