Design infiltration rates

Design infiltration rates, in inches per hour, for A, B, C, and D soil groups. Corresponding USDA soil classification and Unified soil Classifications are included. Note that A and B soils each have two infiltration rates that are a function of soil texture.

Link to the table

Default 4 column, 10 row table

Hydrologic soil group	Infiltration rate (inches/hour)	Soil textures	Corresponding Unified Soil Classification
A	1.6a	gravel sandy gravel silty gravels	GW - well-graded gravels, sandy gravels GP - gap-graded or uniform gravels, sandy gravels GM - silty gravels, silty sandy gravels SW - well-graded gravelly sands
	0.8	sand loamy sand sandy loam	SP - gap-graded or uniform sands, gravelly sands
B	0.6	silt loam	SM - silty sands, silty gravelly sands
	0.3	loam	MH - micaceous silts, diatomaceous silts, volcanic ash
C	0.2	Sandy clay loam	ML - silts, very fine sands, silty or clayey fine sands
D	<0.2	clay loam silty clay loam sandy clay silty clay clay	GC - clayey gravels, clayey sandy gravels SC - clayey sands, clayey gravelly sands CL - low plasticity clays, sandy or silty clays OL - organic silts and clays of low plasticity CH - highly plastic clays and sandy clays OH - organic silts and clays of high plasticity

Source: Thirty guidance manuals and many other stormwater references were reviewed to compile recommended infiltration rates. All of these sources use the following studies as the basis for their recommended infiltration rates: (1) Rawls, Brakensiek and Saxton (1982); (2) Rawls, Gimenez and Grossman (1998); (3) Bouwer and Rice (1984); and (4) Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds (NRCS). SWWD, 2005, provides field documented data that supports the proposed infiltration rates.

^aThis rate is consistent with the infiltration rate provided for the lower end of the Hydrologic Soil Group A soils in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Conservation Practice Standard: Site Evaluation for Stormwater Infiltration.