Soil series profile
Ratliff soil series
Ratliff is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 306,416 acres in 7 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 8.2 moderately alkaline · range 8.1–8.2
- Mapped area
- 306k acres in 7 counties, 2 states
Typical Ratliff profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–8 in (H1) | Loam | 8.2 | 20% | 42% | 1.35% |
| 8–24 in (H2) | Clay loam | 8.2 | 28% | 35% | 0.75% |
| 24–80 in (H3) | Clay loam | 8.2 | 28% | 35% | 0.55% |
What this means
What Ratliff soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Ratliff soils is moderately alkaline: pH 8.2 (most land between 8.1 and 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 97% of mapped Ratliff acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (48% of mapped Ratliff acres).
100% of mapped Ratliff 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 0% of the acres in mapped Ratliff soils very limited, >99% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Ratliff soil is found
Mapped acres
Ratliff is mapped in New Mexico and Texas.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Chaves County, NM | 99,908 | 2.6% |
| Ector County, TX | 68,100 | 11.8% |
| Roosevelt County, NM | 61,919 | 3.9% |
| Andrews County, TX | 43,501 | 4.5% |
| Lea County, NM | 26,842 | 1.0% |
| Winkler County, TX | 5,681 | 1.1% |
| Crane County, TX | 464 | 0.1% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Ratliff acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 99.5% |
| Very limited | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.5% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Ratliff 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 1–2% (median 2%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.4%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 100.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| 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 | 100.0% |
| 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% |
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 Ratliff (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 306,416 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Ratliff components. The profile comes from the single largest Ratliff component. Full methodology.