Soil series profile
Bethany soil series
Bethany is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 515,451 acres in 41 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.2 slightly acidic · range 6.2–6.2
- Mapped area
- 515k acres in 41 counties, 3 states
Typical Bethany profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–11 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 6.2 | 15% | 30% | 1.67% |
| 11–26 in (Bt) | Silty clay loam | 7.5 | 37% | 19% | 0.76% |
| 26–41 in (Btk1) | Silty clay | 8.1 | 42% | 17% | 0.28% |
| 41–80 in (Btk2) | Silty clay | 7.9 | 45% | 14% | 0.19% |
What this means
What Bethany soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Bethany soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.2, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 84% of mapped Bethany acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (84% of mapped Bethany acres).
100% of mapped Bethany acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 100% of mapped acres, 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 84% of the acres in mapped Bethany soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (16% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
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.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Bethany soil is found
Mapped acres
Bethany is mapped in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Sumner County, KS | 169,131 | 22.4% |
| Canadian County, OK | 41,955 | 7.4% |
| Grant County, OK | 37,335 | 5.8% |
| Kay County, OK | 30,801 | 5.2% |
| Noble County, OK | 30,279 | 6.5% |
| Kingfisher County, OK | 27,895 | 4.9% |
| Garfield County, OK | 26,103 | 3.9% |
| Osage County, OK | 22,742 | 1.6% |
| Blaine County, OK | 18,752 | 3.2% |
| Cowley County, KS | 17,084 | 2.4% |
| Harper County, KS | 12,408 | 2.4% |
| Garvin County, OK | 11,376 | 2.2% |
| Grady County, OK | 11,204 | 1.6% |
| Woods County, OK | 10,613 | 1.3% |
| McClain County, OK | 8,098 | 2.2% |
| Alfalfa County, OK | 7,600 | 1.4% |
| Cleveland County, OK | 6,609 | 1.9% |
| Oklahoma County, OK | 5,804 | 1.3% |
| Caddo County, OK | 3,403 | 0.4% |
| Pawnee County, OK | 3,114 | 0.9% |
| Sedgwick County, KS | 3,088 | 0.5% |
| Payne County, OK | 1,943 | 0.4% |
| Custer County, OK | 1,756 | 0.3% |
| Barber County, KS | 1,517 | 0.2% |
| Logan County, OK | 1,124 | 0.2% |
| Major County, OK | 1,038 | 0.2% |
| Jefferson County, OK | 921 | 0.2% |
| Pottawatomie County, OK | 572 | 0.1% |
| Carter County, OK | 325 | 0.1% |
| Lincoln County, OK | 230 | 0.0% |
| Creek County, OK | 178 | 0.0% |
| Pontotoc County, OK | 113 | 0.0% |
| Comanche County, OK | 95 | 0.0% |
| Murray County, OK | 55 | 0.0% |
| Wichita County, TX | 52 | 0.0% |
| Love County, OK | 35 | 0.0% |
| Chautauqua County, KS | 34 | 0.0% |
| Seminole County, OK | 25 | 0.0% |
| Cotton County, OK | 22 | 0.0% |
| Kingman County, KS | 11 | 0.0% |
| Comanche County, KS | 9 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Bethany acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 83.7% |
| Not rated | 16.3% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Bethany acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- None reported within about 6.5 feet (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 1–2% (median 1%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.7%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 100.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 100.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.0% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% |
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
- All map unit components named Bethany (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 515,451 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Bethany components. The profile comes from the single largest Bethany component. Full methodology.