Table 23a.

-Runoff

curve numbers for cultivated agricultural lands1

Curve numbers for
hydrologic soil group-

Cover description

L.cover type
Fallow

Row crops

Hydrologic
condition3

Treatment*
Bare soil
Crop residue cover (CR)
Straight row
Straight row

+ CR

Contoured (C)
Contoured

+ CR

Contoured & terraced (C&T)

Contoured & terraced
Small grain

+ CR

Straight row
Straight row

+ CR

Contoured
Contoured

+ CR

Contoured & terraced

Contoured & terraced
Close-seeded
or broadcast
legumes or
rotation
meadow

+ CR

Straight row
Contoured
Contoured & terraced

Average runoff condition.

2Crop residue cover (CR) applies only if residue is on at least 5%
of the surface throughout the year.
3 H y d r ~ l o gcondition
i~
is based on combination of 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 in rotations, (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.
1

Poor
Good

77
76
74

86
85
83

91
90
88

94
93
90

77
72
75
69
73
67

85
81
83
78
80
76

89
85
85
83
83
80

Poor
Good
Poor
Good
Poor
Good
Poor
Good
Poor
Good
Poor
Good
Poor
Good
Poor
Good
Poor
Good
Poor
Good
Poor
Good
Poor
Good

65
63

Poor
Good
Poor
Good
Poor
Good

66
58
64
55
63
51

64

60
63
61
62
60
61
59
60
58

Table 2-3b.-Runoff

curve numbers for other agricultural lands'

Curve numbers for
hydrologic soil group-

Cover description
Hydrologic
condition

Poor
Fair
Good

68
49
39

79
69
61

86
79
74

89
84
80

Brush-brush-weed-grass mixture with brush

the major element.3

Poor
Fair
Good

48
35
304

67
56
48

77
70
65

83
77
73

Woods-grass combination (orchard

or tree farm).s

Poor
Fair
Good

57
43
32

73
65
58

82
76
72

86
82
79

Poor
Fair
Good

45
36
304

66
60
55

77
73
70

83
79
77

Cover type
Pasture, grassland, or range-continuous
forage for grazing.2

Meadow-continuous grass, protected from

grazing and generally mowed for hay.

Farmsteads-buildings, lanes, driveways,

and surrounding lots.
1 Average runoff condition.
ZPoor: <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 occasionally
grazed.
3 Poor: < 50% ground cover.
Fair: 50 to 75% ground cover.
Gopd: ~ 7 5 %
ground cover.
4Actual curve number is less than 30; use CN = 30 for runoff
computations.
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.
6Pow Forest, litter, small trees, and brush have been 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.

Table 2Jc.-Runoff

curve n u m b n for arld and 8emlarld rangdandrl

Curve numbers for
hydrologic soil group-

Cover description

--.

-.

Cover type
Herbaceous-mixture of grass, weeds, and
lowgrowing brush, with brush the
minor element.
Oak-aspen-mountain brush mixture of oak brush,
aspen, mountain mahogany, bitter brush, maple,
and other brush.
Pinyon-juniper-pinyon, juniper, or both;
grass understory.
Sagebrush with grass understory.
Desert shrub-major plants include saltbush,
greasewood, creosotebush, blackbrush, bursage,
palo verde, mesquite, and cactus.
1 Average

runoff condition. For rangelands in humid regions, use

table 2-3b.
2Pow ~ 3 0 %ground cover (litter, grass, end brush overstory).
Fair: 30% to 70% ground cover.
Good: >70% ground cover.
JCuwe numbers for group A have been developed only for desert
shrub.

Hydrologic
condition2
Poor
Fair
Good
Poor
Fair
Good
Poor
Fair
Good
Poor
Fair
Good
Poor
Fair
Good

A3

Table 2-3d.-Runoff

curve numbers tor urban am#'

Curve numbers for
hydrologic soil group-

Cover description
Cover type and hydrologic condition
--

p~

---

Fully developed urban areas (vegetation estawished)

Open space (lawns, parks, golf courses, cemeteries, etc.)?
Poor condition (grass cover < 50%). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fair condition (grass cover 50% to 75%) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Good condition (grass cover > 75%) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Impervious areas:
Paved parking lots, roofs, driveways, etc. (excluding right-ofway) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Streets and roads:
Paved; curbs and storm sewers (excluding right-of-way) . . . . . .
Paved; open ditches (including right-of-way) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Gravel (including right-of-way) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dirt (including right-of-way). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Western desert urban areas:
Natural desert landscaping (pervious areas only) 4 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Artificial desert landscaping (impervious weed barrier, desert
shrub with 1- to Finch sand or gravel mulch and basin borders). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Urban districts:
Commercial and business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Industrial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Residential districts by average lot size:
118 acre or less (town houses) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
114acre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
113acre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
112acre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 acre

.....................................................

2 acres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Developing urban areas

Newly graded areas (perviousareas only, no vegetation)= ...........
Idle lands (CN'sare determined using cover types similar to those
in table 2-2a).
Average runoff condition.
?The average percent impervcous 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.
3CN's shown are equivalent to those of pasture. Composite CN's
may be computed for other combinations of open space cover
type.
*Composite CN's for natural desert landscaping should be computed based on the impervious area (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 the
degree of development (impervious area percentage) and the
CN's for the newly graded pervious areas.

Average percent
impervious area2