SCS Curve Numbers for Urban Areas1 | |||||
Cover Description | Curve Numbers for Hydrologic Soil Group | ||||
Cover Type and Hydrologic Condition | Average Percent Impervious Area2 | A | B | C | D |
Fully Developed Urban Areas (Vegetation Established) | |||||
Open Space (Lawns, Parks, Golf Courses, Cemeteries, etc.):3 | |||||
Poor condition (grass cover <50%) | 68 | 79 | 86 | 89 | |
Fair condition (grass cover 50% to 75%) | 49 | 69 | 79 | 84 | |
Good condition (grass cover >75%) | 39 | 61 | 74 | 80 | |
Impervious Areas: | |||||
Paved Parking Lots, Roofs, Driveways, etc. | |||||
(excluding right-of-way) | 98 | 98 | 98 | 98 | |
Streets and Roads: | |||||
Paved; curbs and storm sewers (excluding right-of-way) | 98 | 98 | 98 | 98 | |
Paved; open ditches (including right-of-way) | 83 | 89 | 92 | 93 | |
Gravel (including right-of-way) | 76 | 85 | 89 | 91 | |
Dirt (including right-of-way) | 72 | 82 | 87 | 89 | |
Western Desert Urban Areas: | |||||
Natural desert landscaping (pervious areas only)4 | 63 | 77 | 85 | 88 | |
Artificial desert landscaping (impervious weed barrier desert shrub with 1- to 2-inch sand or gravel mulch and basin borders) | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | |
Urban Districts: | |||||
Commercial and business | 85% | 89 | 92 | 94 | 95 |
Industrial | 72% | 81 | 88 | 91 | 93 |
Residential Districts by Average Lot Size: | |||||
1/8 acre or less (town houses) | 65% | 77 | 85 | 90 | 92 |
1/4 acre | 38% | 61 | 75 | 83 | 87 |
1/3 acre | 30% | 57 | 72 | 81 | 86 |
1/2 acre | 25% | 54 | 70 | 80 | 85 |
1 acre | 20% | 51 | 68 | 79 | 84 |
2 acres | 12% | 46 | 65 | 77 | 82 |
Developing Urban Areas | |||||
Newly Graded Areas: | |||||
(pervious areas only, no vegetation)5 | 77 | 86 | 91 | 94 | |
1Average runoff condition, and Ia = 0.2S. 2The average percent impervious area shown was used to develop the composite CN's. Other assumptions are as follows: impervious areas are directly connected to the drainage system, impervious areas have a CN of 98, and pervious areas are considered equivalent to open space in good hydrologic condition. CN's for other combinations of conditions may be computed using figure 2-3 or 2-4 of Technical Release 55, Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds, USDA, June 1986. 3CN's shown are equivalent to those of pasture. Composite CN's may be computed for other combinations of open space cover type. 4Composite CN's for natural desert landscaping should be computed using figure 2-3 or 2-4 of Technical Release 55, Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds, USDA, June 1986, based on the impervious area percentage (CN = 98) and the pervious area CN. The pervious area CN's are assumed equivalent to desert shrub in poor hydrologic condition. 5Composite CN's to use for the design of temporary measures during grading and construction should be computed using figure 2-3 or 2-4 of Technical Release 55, Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds, USDA, June 1986, based on the degree of development (impervious area percentage) and the CN's for the newly graded pervious areas. |
SCS Curve Numbers for Cultivated Agricultural Lands1 | ||||||
Cover Description | Curve Numbers for Hydrologic Soil Group | |||||
Cover Type | Treatment2 | Hydrologic Condition3 | A | B | C | D |
Fallow | Bare Soil | - | 77 | 86 | 91 | 94 |
Crop residue cover (CR) | Poor | 76 | 85 | 90 | 93 | |
Good | 74 | 83 | 88 | 90 | ||
Raw Crops | Straight row (SR) | Poor | 72 | 81 | 88 | 91 |
Good | 67 | 78 | 85 | 89 | ||
SR+CR | Poor | 71 | 80 | 87 | 90 | |
Good | 64 | 75 | 82 | 85 | ||
Contoured (C) | Poor | 70 | 79 | 84 | 88 | |
Good | 65 | 75 | 82 | 86 | ||
C+CR | Poor | 69 | 78 | 83 | 87 | |
Good | 64 | 74 | 81 | 85 | ||
Contoured & terraced (C&T) | Poor | 66 | 74 | 80 | 82 | |
Good | 62 | 71 | 78 | 81 | ||
C&T+CR | Poor | 65 | 73 | 79 | 81 | |
Good | 61 | 70 | 77 | 80 | ||
Small Grain | SR | Poor | 65 | 76 | 84 | 88 |
Good | 63 | 75 | 83 | 87 | ||
SR+CR | Poor | 64 | 75 | 83 | 86 | |
Good | 60 | 72 | 80 | 84 | ||
C | Poor | 63 | 74 | 82 | 85 | |
Good | 61 | 73 | 81 | 84 | ||
C+CR | Poor | 62 | 73 | 81 | 84 | |
Good | 60 | 72 | 80 | 83 | ||
C&T | Poor | 61 | 72 | 79 | 82 | |
Good | 59 | 70 | 78 | 81 | ||
C&T+CR | Poor | 60 | 71 | 78 | 81 | |
Good | 58 | 69 | 77 | 80 | ||
Close-Seeded | SR | Poor | 66 | 77 | 85 | 89 |
Good | 58 | 72 | 81 | 85 | ||
C | Poor | 64 | 75 | 83 | 85 | |
Good | 55 | 69 | 78 | 83 | ||
C&T | Poor | 63 | 73 | 80 | 83 | |
Good | 51 | 67 | 76 | 80 | ||
1Average runoff condition, and Ia = 0.2S. 2Crop residue cover applies only if residue is on at least 5% of the surface throughout the year. 3Hydraulic condition is based on combination factors that affect infiltration and runoff, including (a) density and canopy of vegetative areas, (b) amount of year-round cover, (c) amount of grass or close-seeded legumes, (d) percent of residue cover on the land surface (good >= 20%), and (e) degree of surface roughness. Poor: Factors impair infiltration and tend to increase runoff. Good: Factors encourage average and better than average infiltration and tend to decrease runoff. |
SCS Curve Numbers for other Agricultural Lands1 | ||||||
Cover Description | Curve Numbers for Hydrologic Soil Group | |||||
Cover Type | Hydrologic Condition | A | B | C | D | |
Pasture, Grassland, or Range - Continuous Forage for Grazing2 | Poor | 68 | 79 | 86 | 89 | |
Fair | 49 | 69 | 79 | 84 | ||
Good | 39 | 61 | 74 | 80 | ||
Meadow - Continuous Grass, Protected from Grazing and Generally Mowed for Hay | - | 30 | 58 | 71 | 78 | |
Brush - Brush-Weed-Grass mixture with Brush the Major Element3 | Poor | 48 | 67 | 77 | 83 | |
Fair | 35 | 56 | 70 | 77 | ||
Good | 304 | 48 | 65 | 73 | ||
Woods - Grass Combination (Orchard or Tree Farm)5 | Poor | 57 | 73 | 82 | 86 | |
Fair | 43 | 65 | 76 | 82 | ||
Good | 32 | 58 | 72 | 79 | ||
Woods6 | Poor | 45 | 66 | 77 | 83 | |
Fair | 36 | 60 | 73 | 79 | ||
Good | 304 | 55 | 70 | 77 | ||
Farmstead - Buildings, Lanes, Driveways, and Surrounding Lots | - | 59 | 74 | 82 | 86 | |
1Average runoff condition, and Ia = 0.2S. 2Poor: <50% ground cover or heavily grazed with no mulch. Fair: 50% to 75% ground cover and not heavily grazed. Good: >75% ground cover and lightly or only ocassionally grazed. 3Poor: <50% ground cover. Fair: 50% to 75% ground cover. Good: >75% ground cover. 4Actual curve number is less than 30; use CN = 30 for runoff computation. 5CN's shown were computed for areas with 50% woods and 50% grass (pasture) cover. Other combinations of conditions may be computed from the CN's for woods and pasture. 6Poor: Forest litter, small tress, and brush are destroyed by heavy grazing or regular burning. Fair: Woods are grazed but not burned, and some forest litter covers the soil. Good: Woods are protected from grazing, and litter and brush adequately cover the soil. |
SCS Curve Numbers for Arid and Semiarid Rangelands1 | ||||||
Cover Description | Curve Numbers for Hydrologic Soil Group | |||||
Cover Type | Hydrologic Condition2 | A3 | B | C | D | |
Herbaceous - Mixture of Grass, Weeds, and Low-Growing Brush, with Brush the Minor Element. | Poor | - | 80 | 87 | 93 | |
Fair | - | 71 | 81 | 89 | ||
Good | - | 62 | 74 | 85 | ||
Oak-Aspen - Mountain Brush Mixture of Oak Brush, Aspen, Mountain Mahogany, Bitter Brush, Maple, and other Brush. | Poor | - | 66 | 74 | 79 | |
Fair | - | 48 | 57 | 63 | ||
Good | - | 30 | 41 | 48 | ||
Pinyon-Juniper - Pinyon, Juniper, or both; Grass Understory. | Poor | - | 75 | 85 | 89 | |
Fair | - | 58 | 73 | 80 | ||
Good | - | 41 | 61 | 71 | ||
Sagebrush with Grass Understory. | Poor | - | 67 | 80 | 85 | |
Fair | - | 51 | 63 | 70 | ||
Good | - | 35 | 47 | 55 | ||
Desert Shrub - Major Plants include Saltbush, Greasewood. Creosotebush, Blackbrush, Bursage, Palo Verde, Mesquite, and Cactus. | Poor | 63 | 77 | 85 | 88 | |
Fair | 55 | 72 | 81 | 86 | ||
Good | 49 | 68 | 79 | 84 | ||
1Average runoff condition, and Ia = 0.2S. For range in humid regions, use "SCS Curve Numbers for other Agricultural Lands." 2Poor: <30% ground cover (litter, grass, and brush overstory). Fair: 30% to 70% ground cover. Good: >70% ground cover. 3Curve numbers for group A have been developed only for desert shrub. |