Soil series profile
Canyon soil series
Canyon is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 685,263 acres in 42 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.9 moderately alkaline · range 7.6–7.9
- Mapped area
- 685k acres in 42 counties, 5 states
Typical Canyon profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 in (A) | Loam | 7.6 | 15% | 45% | 2% |
| 5–15 in (C) | Loam | 7.9 | 19% | 44% | 0.75% |
| 15–79 in (Cr) | Bedrock | 7.8 | 15% | Not reported | 0.2% |
What this means
What Canyon soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Canyon soils is moderately alkaline: pH 7.9 (most land between 7.6 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 Canyon acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (83% of mapped Canyon acres).
100% of mapped Canyon 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 100% of the acres in mapped Canyon soils very limited, 0% 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 Canyon soil is found
Mapped acres
Canyon is mapped in Nebraska, South Dakota, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Oglala Lakota County, SD | 155,024 | 10.7% |
| Bennett County, SD | 84,345 | 11.1% |
| Cheyenne County, NE | 71,731 | 9.4% |
| Dawes County, NE | 66,028 | 7.4% |
| Sheridan County, NE | 39,001 | 2.5% |
| Banner County, NE | 38,135 | 8.0% |
| Jackson County, SD | 33,255 | 2.8% |
| Yuma County, CO | 28,755 | 2.0% |
| Box Butte County, NE | 28,420 | 4.1% |
| Sioux County, NE | 25,839 | 2.0% |
| Chase County, NE | 23,694 | 4.1% |
| Kimball County, NE | 21,278 | 3.5% |
| Perkins County, NE | 9,949 | 1.8% |
| Cheyenne County, KS | 9,371 | 1.4% |
| Wallace County, KS | 5,826 | 1.0% |
| Logan County, CO | 5,539 | 0.5% |
| Washington County, CO | 5,011 | 0.3% |
| Kit Carson County, CO | 4,898 | 0.4% |
| Deuel County, NE | 4,344 | 1.5% |
| Franklin County, NE | 4,341 | 1.2% |
| Weld County, CO | 3,496 | 0.1% |
| Logan County, KS | 2,922 | 0.4% |
| Tripp County, SD | 2,090 | 0.2% |
| Sedgwick County, CO | 2,065 | 0.6% |
| Garden County, NE | 1,361 | 0.1% |
| Hitchcock County, NE | 1,339 | 0.3% |
| Morrill County, NE | 1,292 | 0.1% |
| Cheyenne County, CO | 965 | 0.1% |
| Meade County, SD | 906 | 0.0% |
| Todd County, SD | 874 | 0.1% |
| Hayes County, NE | 838 | 0.2% |
| Phillips County, CO | 580 | 0.1% |
| Frontier County, NE | 470 | 0.1% |
| Furnas County, NE | 423 | 0.1% |
| Red Willow County, NE | 394 | 0.1% |
| Rawlins County, KS | 169 | 0.0% |
| Custer County, SD | 119 | 0.0% |
| Lincoln County, CO | 111 | 0.0% |
| Sherman County, KS | 36 | 0.0% |
| Greeley County, KS | 22 | 0.0% |
| Laramie County, WY | 6 | 0.0% |
| Keith County, NE | 4 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Canyon acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 100.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Canyon 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 5–30% (median 15%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.2% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.2% |
| 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) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 100.0% |
| 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 Canyon (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 685,263 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Canyon components. The profile comes from the single largest Canyon component. Full methodology.