Soil series profile
Los Gatos soil series
Los Gatos is a well drained soil with a gravelly loam surface, mapped on 165,345 acres in 14 counties in CA. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 94% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 91% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.5 slightly acidic · range 6.1–7.0
- Mapped area
- 165k acres in 14 counties, 1 state
Typical Los Gatos profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–3 in (A1) | Gravelly loam | 6.5 | 24% | 39% | 2.5% |
| 3–10 in (A2) | Gravelly loam | 6.1 | 24% | 39% | 2.5% |
| 10–16 in (Bt1) | Gravelly clay loam | 6.0 | 30% | 34% | 0.75% |
| 16–27 in (Bt2) | Gravelly clay loam | 6.0 | 30% | 34% | 0.75% |
| 27–35 in (Bt3) | Gravelly clay loam | 6.0 | 30% | 34% | 0.75% |
| 35–39 in (R) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Los Gatos soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Los Gatos soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.5 (most land between 6.1 and 7.0), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 92% of mapped Los Gatos acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is gravelly loam (49% of mapped Los Gatos acres).
94% of mapped Los Gatos acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 91% of mapped acres, rain soaks in slowly (hydrologic groups C and D, including dual groups that are D until drained). Expect runoff and puddles after heavy rain: core-aerate compacted lawns and keep ground sloping away from foundations.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 92% of the acres in mapped Los Gatos soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (9% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Where the soil is very limited (slow permeability, a high water table, flooding, shallow bedrock or steep slopes), alternative systems such as mound or sand-filter designs are common and cost more.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Los Gatos soil is found
Mapped acres
Los Gatos is mapped in California.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara County, CA | 59,772 | 7.1% |
| Sonoma County, CA | 29,329 | 2.9% |
| Contra Costa County, CA | 23,162 | 5.0% |
| Alameda County, CA | 20,726 | 4.4% |
| Monterey County, CA | 6,200 | 0.3% |
| Napa County, CA | 5,781 | 1.3% |
| Glenn County, CA | 5,536 | 0.6% |
| San Mateo County, CA | 4,217 | 1.5% |
| Tehama County, CA | 3,970 | 0.2% |
| San Benito County, CA | 3,497 | 0.4% |
| Solano County, CA | 2,525 | 0.5% |
| Kern County, CA | 616 | 0.0% |
| Santa Barbara County, CA | 10 | 0.0% |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 3 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Los Gatos acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 91.5% |
| Not rated | 8.5% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Los Gatos acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- None reported within about 6.5 feet (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 40–63% (median 53%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 93.5% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 6.5% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.4% |
| C: slow infiltration | 91.1% |
| 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 | 8.5% |
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 Los Gatos (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 165,345 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Los Gatos components. The profile comes from the single largest Los Gatos component. Full methodology.