Soil series profile
Ratake soil series
Ratake is a well drained soil with a channery loam surface, mapped on 45,982 acres in 3 counties in CO. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 92% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 92% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.0 neutral · range 6.7–7.0
- Mapped area
- 46k acres in 3 counties, 1 state
Typical Ratake profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–10 in (H1) | Channery loam | 7.0 | 21% | 42% | 3% |
| 10–15 in (H2) | Very gravelly loam | 7.0 | 19% | 43% | 1.5% |
| 15–19 in (H3) | Weathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Ratake soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Ratake soils is neutral: pH 7.0 (most land between 6.7 and 7.0), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 92% of mapped Ratake acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is stony sandy loam (49% of mapped Ratake acres).
92% of mapped Ratake acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 92% 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 91% of the acres in mapped Ratake soils very limited, 1% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (8% 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 Ratake soil is found
Mapped acres
Ratake is mapped in Colorado.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Larimer County, CO | 23,460 | 1.4% |
| Jefferson County, CO | 22,520 | 5.5% |
| Park County, CO | 2 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Ratake acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 1.4% |
| Very limited | 90.6% |
| Not rated | 8.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Ratake 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 20–45% (median 30%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 3%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 92.2% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 7.8% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 92.0% |
| 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 | 8.0% |
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 Ratake (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 45,982 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Ratake components. The profile comes from the single largest Ratake component. Full methodology.