The soils of the area are moderately deep silt loams that support mesquite, yucca, cacti, and grasses.
The creek passes through steep to gently sloped terrain that is surfaced by clay and sandy loams that support scrub brush, honey mesquite, huisache and natural grasses including "Texas spur".
Although rhyolitic rocks generally weather to soils that are considered to be nutrient poor, the Howell Mountain American Viticultural Area and other wine appellation districts located on the west slope claim that grape vines planted in these soils are stressed and as a consequence produce wine grapes that are superior in quality for wine making when compared to grapes grown on unstressed vines planted in the richer loams of the valley floor.