Soil series profile
Chetek soil series
Chetek is a somewhat excessively drained soil with a sandy loam surface, mapped on 207,277 acres in 35 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Somewhat excessively drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 84% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.2 slightly acidic · range 5.4–6.5
- Mapped area
- 207k acres in 35 counties, 2 states
Typical Chetek profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–10 in (Ap) | Sandy loam | 6.5 | 8% | 55% | 2% |
| 10–16 in (Bt1) | Sandy loam | 5.6 | 14% | 58% | 0.5% |
| 16–20 in (2Bt2) | Gravelly loamy sand | 5.6 | 8% | 80% | 0.25% |
| 20–79 in (2C) | Stratified sand to very gravelly coarse sand | 5.6 | 2% | 94% | 0.1% |
What this means
What Chetek soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Chetek soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.2 (most land between 5.4 and 6.5), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 98% of mapped Chetek acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (81% of mapped Chetek acres).
>99% of mapped Chetek acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.
For lawns and yards
84% 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 >99% of the acres in mapped Chetek 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 Chetek soil is found
Mapped acres
Chetek is mapped in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Barron County, WI | 51,148 | 9.3% |
| Crow Wing County, MN | 21,463 | 3.4% |
| Chippewa County, WI | 19,452 | 3.0% |
| Washington County, MN | 15,401 | 6.2% |
| Polk County, WI | 12,731 | 2.2% |
| Marathon County, WI | 10,511 | 1.1% |
| St. Croix County, WI | 9,463 | 2.1% |
| Morrison County, MN | 9,203 | 1.3% |
| Rusk County, WI | 8,387 | 1.4% |
| Kanabec County, MN | 7,599 | 2.3% |
| Langlade County, WI | 5,692 | 1.0% |
| Ramsey County, MN | 4,479 | 4.5% |
| Washburn County, WI | 4,111 | 0.8% |
| Stearns County, MN | 3,631 | 0.4% |
| Mille Lacs County, MN | 3,469 | 0.9% |
| Chisago County, MN | 3,114 | 1.2% |
| Isanti County, MN | 2,945 | 1.1% |
| Shawano County, WI | 2,408 | 0.4% |
| Waupaca County, WI | 2,159 | 0.5% |
| Eau Claire County, WI | 1,826 | 0.4% |
| Portage County, WI | 1,757 | 0.3% |
| Dunn County, WI | 1,397 | 0.3% |
| Sawyer County, WI | 1,217 | 0.2% |
| Dakota County, MN | 1,186 | 0.3% |
| Burnett County, WI | 1,019 | 0.2% |
| Anoka County, MN | 458 | 0.2% |
| Menominee County, WI | 404 | 0.2% |
| Benton County, MN | 165 | 0.1% |
| Lincoln County, WI | 124 | 0.0% |
| Price County, WI | 107 | 0.0% |
| Clark County, WI | 87 | 0.0% |
| Pine County, MN | 78 | 0.0% |
| Taylor County, WI | 63 | 0.0% |
| Wood County, WI | 22 | 0.0% |
| Douglas County, WI | 2 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Chetek acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 99.6% |
| Not rated | 0.4% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Chetek 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 2–16% (median 5%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.3% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 99.3% |
| Well drained | 0.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.4% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 84.2% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 15.4% |
| 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 | 0.4% |
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 Chetek (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 207,277 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Chetek components. The profile comes from the single largest Chetek component. Full methodology.