Soil series profile
Boyer soil series
Boyer is a well drained soil with a loamy sand surface, mapped on 354,044 acres in 75 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 69% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.5 slightly acidic · range 5.8–6.5
- Mapped area
- 354k acres in 75 counties, 5 states
Typical Boyer profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (Ap) | Loamy sand | 6.5 | 5% | 79% | 1.75% |
| 7–18 in (E) | Loamy sand | 6.5 | 9% | 83% | 0.25% |
| 18–34 in (Bt) | Sandy clay loam | 6.7 | 23% | 63% | 0.25% |
| 34–60 in (2C) | Gravelly sand | 7.9 | 5% | 94% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Boyer soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Boyer soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.5 (most land between 5.8 and 6.5), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Sandy topsoil covers 63% of mapped Boyer acres. It drains fast and warms early in spring, but dries out and loses nutrients quickly: mulch, compost and steady watering help. The most common surface texture is loamy sand (59% of mapped Boyer acres).
100% of mapped Boyer acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
69% of mapped acres is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 98% of the acres in mapped Boyer soils very limited, <1% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (2% 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 Boyer soil is found
Mapped acres
Boyer is mapped in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio and Indiana. The 60 counties with the most Boyer acres:
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Livingston County, MI | 36,326 | 10.0% |
| Clinton County, MI | 22,966 | 6.3% |
| Calhoun County, MI | 20,858 | 4.6% |
| Jackson County, MI | 19,813 | 4.4% |
| Shiawassee County, MI | 18,472 | 5.4% |
| Eaton County, MI | 17,679 | 4.8% |
| Oakland County, MI | 17,078 | 3.1% |
| Columbia County, WI | 14,688 | 3.0% |
| Barry County, MI | 14,252 | 4.0% |
| Macomb County, MI | 12,745 | 4.2% |
| Waushara County, WI | 12,412 | 3.1% |
| Manitowoc County, WI | 12,362 | 3.3% |
| Genesee County, MI | 10,878 | 2.7% |
| Ingham County, MI | 9,771 | 2.7% |
| Ionia County, MI | 8,124 | 2.2% |
| Marquette County, WI | 7,923 | 2.7% |
| Jefferson County, WI | 6,882 | 1.9% |
| Huron County, MI | 6,865 | 1.3% |
| Newaygo County, MI | 6,773 | 1.3% |
| Washington County, WI | 6,586 | 2.4% |
| Gratiot County, MI | 5,437 | 1.5% |
| Wayne County, MI | 5,156 | 1.3% |
| Green Lake County, WI | 5,093 | 2.3% |
| Waukesha County, WI | 4,853 | 1.4% |
| Dane County, WI | 4,521 | 0.6% |
| Lapeer County, MI | 3,961 | 0.9% |
| Brown County, WI | 3,852 | 1.3% |
| Sheboygan County, WI | 3,593 | 1.1% |
| Washtenaw County, MI | 3,446 | 0.8% |
| Ottawa County, MI | 3,340 | 0.9% |
| Lenawee County, MI | 2,632 | 0.6% |
| Walworth County, WI | 2,622 | 0.7% |
| Kewaunee County, WI | 2,583 | 1.2% |
| Hillsdale County, MI | 2,180 | 0.6% |
| Manistee County, MI | 2,034 | 0.6% |
| Outagamie County, WI | 1,976 | 0.5% |
| Lake County, IL | 1,860 | 0.7% |
| Benzie County, MI | 1,764 | 0.9% |
| Door County, WI | 1,448 | 0.4% |
| Ozaukee County, WI | 1,339 | 0.9% |
| Saginaw County, MI | 1,149 | 0.2% |
| Kenosha County, WI | 995 | 0.6% |
| Racine County, WI | 932 | 0.4% |
| Calumet County, WI | 858 | 0.4% |
| Shawano County, WI | 731 | 0.1% |
| Fulton County, OH | 448 | 0.2% |
| Tuscola County, MI | 339 | 0.1% |
| Fond du Lac County, WI | 270 | 0.1% |
| Mason County, MI | 254 | 0.1% |
| Monroe County, MI | 160 | 0.0% |
| White County, IN | 113 | 0.0% |
| Dodge County, WI | 86 | 0.0% |
| LaPorte County, IN | 86 | 0.0% |
| Milwaukee County, WI | 78 | 0.1% |
| Winnebago County, WI | 68 | 0.0% |
| Kane County, IL | 44 | 0.0% |
| Sanilac County, MI | 39 | 0.0% |
| Kent County, MI | 38 | 0.0% |
| LaGrange County, IN | 31 | 0.0% |
| St. Clair County, MI | 25 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Boyer acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.4% |
| Very limited | 97.5% |
| Not rated | 2.1% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Boyer acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 5.8 feet (69 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 3–16% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.3% |
| Well drained | 99.7% |
| 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) | 69.1% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 28.7% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| 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% |
| Not rated | 2.1% |
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 Boyer (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 354,044 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Boyer components. The profile comes from the single largest Boyer component. Full methodology.