County soil summary
Soil types in Sarpy County, Nebraska
The most widespread soils are Contrary, Marshall and Judson; the most common drainage class is well drained (62% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 5.8.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 71% of land · state 90%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.8 moderately acidic · state 6.6
- Septic fields very limited
- 75% of land · state 80%
- Subject to flooding
- 23% of land, any frequency · state 10%
Most common soils in Sarpy County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 73% of the mapped land; 53 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contrary | 24.7% | Well drained | 6.1 |
| Marshall | 17.3% | Well drained | 5.9 |
| Urban landLand type, not a soil series | 8.1% | — | — |
| Judson | 6.3% | Well drained | 5.8 |
| Monona | 4.5% | Well drained | 6.2 |
| Ida | 4.3% | Well drained | 7.7 |
| Kennebec | 3.7% | Moderately well drained | 6.2 |
| UdorthentsGeneral soil group, not a named series | 3.7% | — | — |
What this means
What the soils in Sarpy County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Sarpy County is moderately acidic: pH 5.8 (most land between 5.8 and 7.5). Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 88% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silty clay loam (65% of the land).
71% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
On 64% of the land, rain soaks in slowly (hydrologic groups C and D, including dual groups that are D until drained). Expect runoff and puddles after heavy rain: core-aerate compacted lawns and keep ground sloping away from foundations.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 75% of the land in Sarpy County very limited, 13% somewhat limited and 3% not limited (10% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 80% of the land is very limited, so Sarpy County is less restrictive than typical.
Where the soil is very limited (slow permeability, a high water table, flooding, shallow bedrock or steep slopes), alternative systems such as mound or sand-filter designs are common and cost more.
Flooding is mapped on 23% of the land (22% occasional, 1% frequent).
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Drainage
How long the soil stays wet
The most common drainage class is well drained (62%). 71% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 90% across Nebraska.
Show as a table
| Category | Sarpy County | Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.3% | 26.7% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Well drained | 62.2% | 52.7% |
| Moderately well drained | 8.0% | 8.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 11.5% | 5.8% |
| Poorly drained | 2.0% | 2.7% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| Not rated | 15.4% | 0.4% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating for conventional drain fields
The rating looks at the soil from 24 to 60 inches deep: permeability, depth to a seasonal water table or bedrock, flooding and slope. “Very limited” means at least one feature is unfavorable enough that a conventional field is hard to make work.
Show as a table
| Category | Sarpy County | Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 2.6% | 1.8% |
| Somewhat limited | 12.7% | 17.6% |
| Very limited | 75.2% | 80.4% |
| Not rated | 9.5% | 0.2% |
Rain, runoff and water table
Hydrologic soil group, flooding, seasonal water table
Hydrologic soil group
How fast rain soaks in when the soil is already wet. Group A soaks in fastest, D slowest.
Show as a table
| Category | Sarpy County | Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 1.2% | 37.4% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 19.7% | 23.9% |
| C: slow infiltration | 59.3% | 25.7% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 2.4% | 8.1% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% | 2.2% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Not rated | 15.4% | 0.6% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Sarpy County | Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 67.2% | 90.0% |
| Rare or very rare | 0.2% | 2.0% |
| Occasional | 22.0% | 5.4% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 1.0% | 2.3% |
| Not reported | 9.5% | 0.3% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Sarpy County | Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 2.3% | 6.0% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 11.3% | 6.9% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 84.9% | 87.0% |
| Not reported | 1.5% | 0.1% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 5.8 (moderately acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 5.8 and 7.5. Median topsoil organic matter is 2%.
Show as a table
| Category | Sarpy County | Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 62.7% | 20.6% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 14.0% | 63.8% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 13.8% | 15.0% |
| Not reported | 9.5% | 0.4% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Sarpy County | Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 1.5% | 37.0% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 87.6% | 59.7% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 1.4% | 2.1% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 9.5% | 0.7% |
Sources & data dates
- Source
- USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), queried through Soil Data Access. Public domain.
- Data date
- SSURGO as published on November 3, 2026 (most recent survey area update October 26, 2026). NRCS refreshes SSURGO each October.
- Scope
- Sarpy County, Nebraska (FIPS 31153): 152,652 acres of mapped land, 5,786 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in Nebraska.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped land area: each map unit’s acres in the county times each soil component’s percentage. Open water is excluded. Topsoil values use the first mineral horizon of each component. Full methodology.