Soil Water Movement

Water movement in soils occurs under both saturated and unsaturated conditions (Figure 4.1). Saturated conditions occur below the water table where water movement is predominately horizontal, with lesser components of flow in the vertical direction. While unsaturated conditions generally predominate above the water table (the vadose zone), localized zones of saturation can exist especially following precipitation or irrigation. As a general rule, water movement in the unsaturated zone is vertical, but can also have large lateral components.