Morgan County, Utah
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 15% of Morgan County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1997.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Morgan County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.3% |
| Mapped soil | 390,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Lucky Star | 11% | n/a |
| St. Marys | 7% | n/a |
| Charcol | 6% | n/a |
| Moweba | 4% | n/a |
| Etchen | 4% | n/a |
| Manila | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas UT609 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 22.79 in, 2.95 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.74 in.
USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 15% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Morgan County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 52 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 23.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Morgan County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.74 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 22.79 in (-2.95) |
| 2025 | 21.86 in (-3.88) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1909: 43.89 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1939: 15.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ECHO DAM (11 mi away) | 0.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,942 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 37% |
| Built 2000 or later | 46% |
| Owner-occupied | 89% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $654,900 |
| Single-family detached | 93% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weber County, UT | 20 mi | 7% | 20% |
| Davis County, UT | 33 mi | 4% | 16% |
| Salt Lake County, UT | 34 mi | 13% | 17% |
| Summit County, UT | 35 mi | 9% | 6% |
| Rich County, UT | 41 mi | 1% | 7% |
| Cache County, UT | 45 mi | 22% | 18% |
| Uinta County, WY | 55 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Wasatch County, UT | 57 mi | 11% | 5% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 26, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status