In soil classification, which type of soil drains freely due to its coarse texture?

The type of soil that drains freely due to its coarse texture is gravel. Gravel consists of coarse particles, which allows for large pore spaces in the soil structure. This characteristic enables water to flow through it quickly, resulting in excellent drainage capabilities. The larger size of gravel particles means that they do not easily hold onto water, making it less likely for water to saturate this kind of soil.

In contrast, clay and fine-grained soils have much smaller particles that tend to compact closely together, creating a dense structure that inhibits water movement, leading to slower drainage. Sandy soils do allow for good drainage as well, but they typically consist of finer particles compared to gravel, and while they drain better than clay or fine-grained soils, they retain more moisture than gravel due to the lack of larger voids within the soil structure. Therefore, gravel stands out as the soil type that offers the best drainage because of its coarse texture.