Soil series profile

Dinuba soil series

Dinuba is a moderately well drained soil with a sandy loam surface, mapped on 75,957 acres in 4 counties in CA. Hydrologic group C.

#4360 by mapped area coarse-loamy Typic Haploxeralfs (Alfisols)

Drainage class
Moderately well drained
95% of mapped acres
Hydrologic group
C
91% of mapped acres
Typical topsoil pH
7.2
neutral · range 7.2–7.9
Mapped area
76k
acres in 4 counties, 1 state

Typical Dinuba profile

Texture and pH by depth

Typical Dinuba soil profile by depth 0 in 10 in 20 in 30 in 40 in 50 in 0–10 in · H1 · pH 7.2 · 11% clay Sandy loam 10–30 in · H2 · pH 7.2 · 14% clay Sandy loam 30–60 in · H3 · pH 8.2 · 14% clay Very fine sand, silt loam
Depth to scale. More strongly shaded layers hold more clay. Horizon names are the soil survey's (A = topsoil, B = subsoil, C = parent material).
Show as a table
Typical Dinuba horizons (representative values)
Depth Texture pH Clay Sand Organic matter
0–10 in (H1) Sandy loam 7.2 11% 66% 0.75%
10–30 in (H2) Sandy loam 7.2 14% 67% 0.25%
30–60 in (H3) Very fine sand, silt loam 8.2 14% 30% 0%

Representative values from the most extensive Dinuba map unit (Dinuba sandy loam, 0 to 1 percent slopes, survey area CA644). Other map units of this series vary within the series range.

Hands holding dark garden soil
Stock photo for illustration, not a sample of this soil series. Credit on the Sources & method page.

What this means

What Dinuba soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems

For gardens

Typical topsoil in Dinuba soils is neutral: pH 7.2 (most land between 7.2 and 7.9), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.

Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 95% of mapped Dinuba acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (66% of mapped Dinuba acres).

95% of mapped Dinuba acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.

For lawns and yards

On 91% 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 95% of the acres in mapped Dinuba soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (5% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).

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.

Generated from the mapped numbers above using fixed rules, not a site visit. See how these notes are written.

Where Dinuba soil is found

Mapped acres

Dinuba is mapped in California.

Counties with the most mapped Dinuba soil
County Acres Share of county land
Stanislaus County, CA 59,772 6.1%
Madera County, CA 10,802 1.1%
Merced County, CA 4,994 0.4%
Fresno County, CA 388 0.0%

Septic absorption fields

NRCS rating, share of Dinuba acres

Not limited 0%
Somewhat limited 0%
Very limited 95%
Not rated 5%
Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Dinuba acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.
Show as a table
Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Dinuba acres.
CategoryShare of acres
Not limited0.0%
Somewhat limited0.0%
Very limited95.3%
Not rated4.7%

Drainage, water table and flooding

Share of Dinuba 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 1–1% (median 1%).
Topsoil organic matter
Median 0.8%.

Drainage class

Excessively drained 0%
Somewhat excessively drained 0%
Well drained 0%
Moderately well drained 95%
Somewhat poorly drained 0%
Poorly drained 0%
Very poorly drained 0%
Not rated 5%
Drainage class across mapped Dinuba acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.
Show as a table
Drainage class across mapped Dinuba acres.
CategoryShare of acres
Excessively drained0.0%
Somewhat excessively drained0.0%
Well drained0.0%
Moderately well drained95.3%
Somewhat poorly drained0.0%
Poorly drained0.0%
Very poorly drained0.0%
Not rated4.7%

Hydrologic soil group

A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) <1%
B: moderate infiltration 4%
C: slow infiltration 91%
D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) 0%
A/D: D as is, A if drained 0%
B/D: D as is, B if drained 0%
C/D: D as is, C if drained 0%
Not rated 5%
Hydrologic soil group across mapped Dinuba acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.
Show as a table
Hydrologic soil group across mapped Dinuba acres.
CategoryShare of acres
A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly)0.9%
B: moderate infiltration3.9%
C: slow infiltration90.5%
D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet)0.0%
A/D: D as is, A if drained0.0%
B/D: D as is, B if drained0.0%
C/D: D as is, C if drained0.0%
Not rated4.7%

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 Dinuba (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 75,957 acres.
Method
Shares are by mapped acres of Dinuba components. The profile comes from the single largest Dinuba component. Full methodology.

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.

Full narrative description: USDA Official Soil Series Description for Dinuba.