Puerto Rico Soil Drainage Rankings
How well does the soil drain across Puerto Rico? 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 San Juan Area, Puerto Rico at 91% well-drained soils. The most drainage-challenged is El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico at 43%. 33% of the land in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico is poorly drained, so building, septic and gardening there often call for drainage work, engineered septic designs or raised beds.
stays wet (poorly drained)in between, or not ratedwell drained
| # | Survey Area | Land by drainage | Well Drained | Poorly Drained | Most common class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Juan Area, Puerto Rico | 91% | 5% | Well drained | |
| 2 | Mayaguez Area, Puerto Rico Western Part | 88% | 6% | Well drained | |
| 3 | Ponce Area, Puerto Rico Southern Part | 81% | 6% | Well drained | |
| 4 | San German Area, Southwestern Puerto Rico | 79% | 12% | Well drained | |
| 5 | Arecibo Area, Puerto Rico Northern Part | 78% | 7% | Well drained | |
| 6 | Humacao Area, Puerto Rico Eastern Part | 67% | 19% | Well drained | |
| 7 | El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico | 43% | 33% | Well drained |