Nevada: basement moisture and foundation risk by county
17 counties, ranked by our combined index. Highest combined risk is Lander County (46), lowest is Clark County (29). The worst soil for foundation cracks specifically is in Lander County.
| County | Index | Moisture | Cracks | Water table | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lander County | 46 | 34 | 75 | 30 | Basin and Range |
| Pershing County | 41 | 36 | 56 | 30 | Basin and Range |
| Elko County | 40 | 34 | 57 | 30 | Basin and Range |
| Humboldt County | 37 | 35 | 46 | 30 | Basin and Range |
| White Pine County | 37 | 31 | 62 | 16 | Basin and Range desert |
| Eureka County | 36 | 37 | 38 | 30 | Basin and Range |
| Mineral County | 36 | 28 | 62 | 16 | Basin and Range desert |
| Storey County | 36 | 33 | 45 | 30 | Basin and Range |
| Washoe County | 36 | 34 | 43 | 30 | Basin and Range |
| Carson City | 35 | 28 | 58 | 16 | Basin and Range desert |
| Esmeralda County | 33 | 30 | 40 | 30 | Basin and Range desert |
| Nye County | 32 | 29 | 47 | 16 | Basin and Range desert |
| Churchill County | 31 | 37 | 34 | 16 | Basin and Range |
| Douglas County | 30 | 28 | 33 | 30 | Basin and Range desert |
| Clark County | 29 | 31 | 34 | 16 | Basin and Range desert |
| Lincoln County | 29 | 28 | 31 | 30 | Basin and Range desert |
| Lyon County | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | Basin and Range desert |
Values from USDA NRCS SSURGO where available, otherwise our regional model — each county page states which. Methodology.
The physiographic regions inside Nevada
State lines are political; soil follows geology. These are the distinct ground types inside Nevada and why each behaves the way it does.
Basin and Range desert
Phoenix, Las Vegas, Tucson, Albuquerque. Rainfall is minimal and groundwater is deep, so seepage is not the story. Two other mechanisms are: expansive playa clays, and hydrocompactive fan soils that collapse the first time they are deeply wetted — typically by irrigation or a leaking service line rather than by rain.
9 counties: Carson City, Clark County, Douglas County, Esmeralda County, Lincoln County, Lyon County, Mineral County, Nye County, White Pine County
Basin and Range
Semi-arid, but the lacustrine clays on the basin floors are expansive while parts of the fans are collapsible — they settle when wetted. Two opposite failure modes in one metropolitan area.
8 counties: Churchill County, Elko County, Eureka County, Humboldt County, Lander County, Pershing County, Storey County, Washoe County
Page data updated