Soil series profile
Buse soil series
Buse is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 1,371,902 acres in 70 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 56% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.7 slightly alkaline · range 7.5–7.9
- Mapped area
- 1.4M acres in 70 counties, 3 states
Typical Buse profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (Ap) | Loam | 7.7 | 23% | 40% | 2% |
| 7–40 in (Bk) | Loam | 7.9 | 26% | 38% | 1% |
| 40–79 in (C) | Loam | 7.9 | 26% | 38% | 0.3% |
What this means
What Buse soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Buse soils is slightly alkaline: pH 7.7 (most land between 7.5 and 7.9). Acid-loving plants such as blueberries and azaleas struggle without amended beds, and some trees and shrubs show iron chlorosis (yellow leaves with green veins).
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Buse acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (95% of mapped Buse acres).
100% of mapped Buse acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 57% of the acres in mapped Buse soils very limited, 43% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
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 Buse soil is found
Mapped acres
Buse is mapped in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. The 60 counties with the most Buse acres:
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Day County, SD | 108,475 | 16.1% |
| Barnes County, ND | 80,264 | 8.4% |
| Stutsman County, ND | 73,084 | 5.2% |
| Clark County, SD | 70,573 | 11.4% |
| Brookings County, SD | 49,503 | 9.8% |
| Codington County, SD | 45,794 | 10.4% |
| Nelson County, ND | 44,473 | 7.0% |
| Kingsbury County, SD | 42,521 | 8.1% |
| Hamlin County, SD | 37,627 | 11.6% |
| Deuel County, SD | 35,887 | 9.0% |
| Marshall County, SD | 33,856 | 6.2% |
| Lincoln County, MN | 33,585 | 9.8% |
| Ward County, ND | 33,134 | 2.5% |
| McHenry County, ND | 32,376 | 2.7% |
| Grant County, SD | 32,238 | 7.4% |
| LaMoure County, ND | 30,930 | 4.2% |
| Ransom County, ND | 30,475 | 5.5% |
| Steele County, ND | 29,310 | 6.4% |
| Cavalier County, ND | 29,288 | 3.0% |
| Roberts County, SD | 28,601 | 4.0% |
| Pope County, MN | 27,310 | 6.4% |
| Walsh County, ND | 25,607 | 3.1% |
| Lyon County, MN | 22,564 | 4.9% |
| Sargent County, ND | 21,973 | 4.0% |
| Dickey County, ND | 20,870 | 2.9% |
| Otter Tail County, MN | 20,367 | 1.6% |
| Grand Forks County, ND | 19,242 | 2.1% |
| Cass County, ND | 17,891 | 1.6% |
| Richland County, ND | 16,351 | 1.8% |
| Douglas County, MN | 15,905 | 3.9% |
| Benson County, ND | 15,324 | 1.7% |
| Murray County, MN | 14,728 | 3.3% |
| Becker County, MN | 12,503 | 1.5% |
| Ramsey County, ND | 12,497 | 1.6% |
| Renville County, ND | 12,458 | 2.2% |
| Brown County, SD | 12,419 | 1.1% |
| Clay County, MN | 12,288 | 1.8% |
| Rolette County, ND | 12,194 | 2.1% |
| Griggs County, ND | 11,345 | 2.5% |
| Foster County, ND | 11,236 | 2.7% |
| Bottineau County, ND | 10,809 | 1.0% |
| Lac qui Parle County, MN | 10,301 | 2.1% |
| Spink County, SD | 10,241 | 1.1% |
| Wells County, ND | 10,186 | 1.3% |
| Mahnomen County, MN | 9,370 | 2.6% |
| Chippewa County, MN | 9,191 | 2.5% |
| Pipestone County, MN | 8,961 | 3.0% |
| Swift County, MN | 8,664 | 1.8% |
| Yellow Medicine County, MN | 8,569 | 1.8% |
| Grant County, MN | 8,010 | 2.3% |
| Towner County, ND | 7,253 | 1.1% |
| Stearns County, MN | 6,880 | 0.8% |
| Stevens County, MN | 5,909 | 1.7% |
| Sheridan County, ND | 4,103 | 0.7% |
| Norman County, MN | 3,030 | 0.5% |
| Wilkin County, MN | 2,197 | 0.5% |
| Mountrail County, ND | 1,957 | 0.2% |
| Eddy County, ND | 1,913 | 0.5% |
| McLean County, ND | 1,464 | 0.1% |
| Traverse County, MN | 1,427 | 0.4% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Buse acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 42.8% |
| Very limited | 57.2% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Buse acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 3.9 feet (47 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 5–25% (median 7%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2%.
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 | 56.3% |
| C: slow infiltration | 43.7% |
| 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 Buse (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 1,371,902 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Buse components. The profile comes from the single largest Buse component. Full methodology.