The rate that water will infiltrate into the soil is dependent on textural characteristic of the soil profile, the condition of the soil surface, and the initial moisture content within the soil profile at the time of the infiltration event. The soil’s textural characteristics determine the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil and the water retention or storage characteristics of the soil. Naturally, soils that have a relatively coarse texture will tend to have greater saturated hydraulic conductivity than fine–textured soils, and so these coarse-textured soils will tend to have greater infiltration capacities. The condition of the soil surface is important because effects such as compaction of the surface layers or deposition of fine particulates onto the surface can reduce the hydraulic conductivity of the surface and thereby reduce the infiltration capacity of the soil. The initial moisture content of the soil is an important factor in determining infiltration capacity: the drier the soil is at the beginning of an infiltration event, the more capacity the soil has to absorb the water available at the soil surface.