Louisiana Soil Drainage Rankings
How well does the soil drain across Louisiana? We ranked every USDA survey area by the percentage of land classified as "well drained." Areas at the top of the list have soils where water moves through at a healthy rate — favorable for building, septic, and gardening. Areas at the bottom have more waterlogged or slowly-draining soils that may require engineered solutions.
The best-drained survey area is Claiborne Parish, Louisiana at 62% well-drained soils. The most drainage-challenged is Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana at 0%. With 100% poorly-drained soils, properties in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana should budget for drainage engineering, alternative septic designs, or raised-bed gardening.
| # | Survey Area | Well Drained | Poorly Drained | Dominant Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claiborne Parish, Louisiana | 62% | 12% | Well drained |
| 2 | West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana | 61% | 24% | Well drained |
| 3 | Lincoln Parish, Louisiana | 60% | 6% | Well drained |
| 4 | Washington Parish, Louisiana | 52% | 15% | Well drained |
| 5 | De Soto Parish, Louisiana | 50% | 23% | Well drained |
| 6 | St. Helena Parish, Louisiana | 47% | 13% | Well drained |
| 7 | Jackson Parish, Louisiana | 44% | 12% | Well drained |
| 8 | Union Parish, Louisiana | 44% | 20% | Well drained |
| 9 | Grant Parish, Louisiana | 39% | 29% | Well drained |
| 10 | East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana | 38% | 12% | Moderately well drained |
| 11 | Caddo Parish, Louisiana | 38% | 39% | Well drained |
| 12 | LaSalle Parish, Louisiana | 36% | 35% | Well drained |
| 13 | Red River Parish, Louisiana | 36% | 39% | Well drained |
| 14 | Ouachita Parish, Louisiana | 32% | 54% | Well drained |
| 15 | Sabine Parish, Louisiana | 31% | 20% | Moderately well drained |
| 16 | Rapides Parish, Louisiana | 30% | 40% | Well drained |
| 17 | Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana | 30% | 41% | Well drained |
| 18 | Bienville Parish, Louisiana | 28% | 29% | Moderately well drained |
| 19 | Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana | 27% | 39% | Moderately well drained |
| 20 | Bossier Parish, Louisiana | 26% | 54% | Poorly drained |
| 21 | Webster Parish, Louisiana | 25% | 38% | Moderately well drained |
| 22 | Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana | 22% | 74% | Somewhat poorly drained |
| 23 | Vernon Parish, Louisiana | 22% | 33% | Moderately well drained |
| 24 | Catahoula Parish, Louisiana | 20% | 77% | Poorly drained |
| 25 | Richland Parish, Louisiana | 20% | 65% | Poorly drained |
| 26 | Lafayette Parish, Louisiana | 18% | 81% | Somewhat poorly drained |
| 27 | Morehouse Parish, Louisiana | 17% | 69% | Poorly drained |
| 28 | St. Landry Parish, Louisiana | 14% | 84% | Poorly drained |
| 29 | Evangeline Parish, Louisiana | 13% | 77% | Poorly drained |
| 30 | Beauregard Parish, Louisiana | 11% | 47% | Moderately well drained |
| 31 | Caldwell Parish, Louisiana | 11% | 53% | Moderately well drained |
| 32 | St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana | 11% | 67% | Somewhat poorly drained |
| 33 | Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana | 10% | 86% | Somewhat poorly drained |
| 34 | East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana | 10% | 80% | Somewhat poorly drained |
| 35 | Livingston Parish, Louisiana | 9% | 89% | Poorly drained |
| 36 | West Baton Rouge Parish, Lousiana | 8% | 90% | Poorly drained |
| 37 | Allen Parish, Louisiana | 8% | 67% | Poorly drained |
| 38 | Winn Parish, Louisiana | 6% | 43% | Moderately well drained |
| 39 | Franklin Parish, Louisiana | 5% | 68% | Poorly drained |
| 40 | St. Martin Parish, Louisiana | 2% | 97% | Very poorly drained |
| 41 | Iberia Parish, Louisiana | 2% | 97% | Very poorly drained |
| 42 | West Carroll Parish, Louisiana | 2% | 46% | Moderately well drained |
| 43 | Acadia Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 93% | Somewhat poorly drained |
| 44 | Concordia Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 96% | Poorly drained |
| 45 | Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 98% | Somewhat poorly drained |
| 46 | Ascension Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 99% | Somewhat poorly drained |
| 47 | Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 93% | Poorly drained |
| 48 | Vermilion Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 99% | Very poorly drained |
| 49 | Assumption Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 100% | Very poorly drained |
| 50 | Cameron Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 99% | Very poorly drained |
| 51 | East Carroll Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 92% | Poorly drained |
| 52 | Iberville Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 100% | Poorly drained |
| 53 | Jefferson Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 100% | Very poorly drained |
| 54 | Lafourche Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 100% | Very poorly drained |
| 55 | Madison Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 95% | Poorly drained |
| 56 | Orleans Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 100% | Very poorly drained |
| 57 | Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 100% | Very poorly drained |
| 58 | St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 100% | Very poorly drained |
| 59 | St. Charles Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 100% | Very poorly drained |
| 60 | St. James Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 100% | Very poorly drained |
| 61 | St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 100% | Very poorly drained |
| 62 | St. Mary Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 99% | Very poorly drained |
| 63 | Tensas Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 93% | Somewhat poorly drained |
| 64 | Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana | 0% | 100% | Very poorly drained |