Soil series profile
Denure soil series
Denure is a somewhat excessively drained soil with a sandy loam surface, mapped on 853,070 acres in 6 counties in AZ. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Somewhat excessively drained 83% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 8.0 moderately alkaline · range 7.5–8.2
- Mapped area
- 853k acres in 6 counties, 1 state
Typical Denure profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 in (A) | Sandy loam | 8.2 | 10% | 67% | 0.75% |
| 2–54 in (Bk) | Sandy loam | 8.2 | 15% | 66% | 0.25% |
| 54–60 in (2Btk) | Sandy clay loam | 8.2 | 25% | 57% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Denure soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Denure soils is moderately alkaline: pH 8.0 (most land between 7.5 and 8.2). 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 77% of mapped Denure acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (57% of mapped Denure acres).
83% of mapped Denure acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.
For lawns and yards
99% 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 17% of the acres in mapped Denure soils very limited, 15% somewhat limited and 67% not limited.
Flooding is mapped on 13% of the acres (0% occasional, 0% frequent).
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Denure soil is found
Mapped acres
Denure is mapped in Arizona.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Pinal County, AZ | 244,593 | 7.5% |
| Maricopa County, AZ | 244,059 | 3.9% |
| La Paz County, AZ | 152,946 | 5.5% |
| Pima County, AZ | 93,876 | 1.8% |
| Yuma County, AZ | 23,027 | 1.0% |
| Mohave County, AZ | 6,033 | 0.1% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Denure acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 67.4% |
| Somewhat limited | 15.2% |
| Very limited | 17.4% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Denure acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- None reported within about 6.5 feet (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Mapped as flooding on 13% of acres (0% occasional, 0% frequent).
- Slope
- Typically 1–3% (median 2%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 0.8%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 82.7% |
| Well drained | 17.3% |
| 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) | 98.9% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.7% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.4% |
| 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 Denure (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 853,070 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Denure components. The profile comes from the single largest Denure component. Full methodology.