Soil series profile
Cushman soil series
Cushman is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 547,367 acres in 24 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C >99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.2 neutral · range 7.0–7.2
- Mapped area
- 547k acres in 24 counties, 4 states
Typical Cushman profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 in (A) | Loam | 7.2 | 20% | 40% | 1.5% |
| 2–23 in (Bt) | Clay loam | 7.8 | 30% | 35% | 0.75% |
| 23–30 in (Bk) | Loam | 8.2 | 25% | 35% | 0.25% |
| 30–79 in (Cr) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Cushman soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Cushman soils is neutral: pH 7.2 (most land between 7.0 and 7.2), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers >99% of mapped Cushman acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (71% of mapped Cushman acres).
>99% of mapped Cushman acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On >99% 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 >99% of the acres in mapped Cushman 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 Cushman soil is found
Mapped acres
Cushman is mapped in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and South Dakota.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Campbell County, WY | 101,144 | 3.3% |
| Weston County, WY | 59,268 | 3.9% |
| Johnson County, WY | 50,229 | 1.9% |
| Powder River County, MT | 45,998 | 2.4% |
| Natrona County, WY | 43,521 | 1.3% |
| Elbert County, CO | 42,266 | 3.6% |
| Converse County, WY | 41,691 | 1.7% |
| Rosebud County, MT | 23,039 | 0.5% |
| Crook County, WY | 20,554 | 1.1% |
| Treasure County, MT | 19,876 | 3.1% |
| Sheridan County, WY | 17,351 | 1.1% |
| Niobrara County, WY | 14,756 | 0.9% |
| Pennington County, SD | 13,640 | 0.8% |
| El Paso County, CO | 12,062 | 0.8% |
| Garfield County, CO | 9,900 | 0.5% |
| Logan County, CO | 7,248 | 0.6% |
| Big Horn County, MT | 6,307 | 0.1% |
| Larimer County, CO | 5,612 | 0.3% |
| Weld County, CO | 2,976 | 0.1% |
| Park County, WY | 2,857 | 0.2% |
| Hot Springs County, WY | 2,356 | 0.2% |
| Yellowstone County, MT | 1,912 | 0.1% |
| Carbon County, MT | 236 | 0.0% |
| Big Horn County, WY | 125 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Cushman acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 99.7% |
| Not rated | 0.3% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Cushman 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 3–13% (median 10%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 99.7% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.3% |
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 | 99.5% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.1% |
| 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 | 0.3% |
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 Cushman (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 547,367 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Cushman components. The profile comes from the single largest Cushman component. Full methodology.