Soil Rating — Leakage Rate (SWR), rated nationwide

The leachate rate is a characteristic for assessing the soil as part of the water balance and describes the amount of water that the soil can no longer hold due to its limited water retention capacity and which therefore leaves or sees the root space (groundwater regeneration). Lateral drains (drainage, trench drainage) are not considered at this point. Sandy soils can hold less water than loamy or clayy soils, so (under otherwise equal conditions) the leachate rate under sandy soils is greater than under loamy/tony soils. In rainy areas, more water leaks than in poorer areas. The leachate rate is used to evaluate a natural soil function in accordance with Section 2(2) of the BBodSchG, in accordance with point 1.b) as part of the natural balance, in particular with its water and nutrient cycles. The criterion chosen for this purpose is the general water balance ratio with the characteristic value leachate rate. The maps are available for the following scale levels: — 1: 1,000-10 000 for high-resolution or parcel-sharp planning, — 1: 10,001-35,000 for municipal planning, — 1: 35.001-100,000 for planning in larger regions, — 1: 100.001-350,000 for nationally differentiated planning, — 1: 350,001-1000,000 for nationwide to nationwide planning. In this representation, the leachate rate is classified uniformly throughout the country. Under the title “Soil assessment — field capacity in leachate rate (SWR), regionally specific assessment” there is also a nature-specific classification of the leachate rate, which represents the leachate rate more regionally differentiated.