Soil series profile
Els soil series
Els is a somewhat poorly drained soil with a fine sand surface, mapped on 668,173 acres in 49 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Somewhat poorly drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.5 slightly acidic · range 6.5–6.5
- Mapped area
- 668k acres in 49 counties, 4 states
Typical Els profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (A) | Fine sand | 6.5 | 4% | 95% | 1.75% |
| 6–35 in (AC) | Fine sand | 6.7 | 4% | 95% | 0.25% |
| 35–79 in (Cg) | Fine sand | 7.0 | 4% | 95% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Els soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Els soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.5, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Sandy topsoil covers 100% of mapped Els acres. It drains fast and warms early in spring, but dries out and loses nutrients quickly: mulch, compost and steady watering help. The most common surface texture is fine sand (80% of mapped Els acres).
100% of mapped Els acres is somewhat poorly to very poorly drained, so soil stays soggy for long spells after rain and in wet seasons. Raised beds, plants that tolerate wet feet, and not working the soil while wet all help.
For lawns and yards
100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Els 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 Els soil is found
Mapped acres
Els is mapped in Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas and Colorado.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Holt County, NE | 153,775 | 10.0% |
| Cherry County, NE | 119,257 | 3.1% |
| Rock County, NE | 100,210 | 15.6% |
| Brown County, NE | 43,597 | 5.6% |
| Wheeler County, NE | 31,573 | 8.6% |
| Blaine County, NE | 23,778 | 5.2% |
| Sheridan County, NE | 22,698 | 1.4% |
| Garfield County, NE | 22,694 | 6.2% |
| Morrill County, NE | 16,876 | 1.9% |
| McPherson County, NE | 13,572 | 2.5% |
| Garden County, NE | 12,154 | 1.1% |
| Loup County, NE | 10,984 | 3.0% |
| Keya Paha County, NE | 10,722 | 2.2% |
| Grant County, NE | 10,562 | 2.1% |
| Lincoln County, NE | 9,354 | 0.6% |
| Logan County, NE | 8,905 | 2.4% |
| Custer County, NE | 8,198 | 0.5% |
| Arthur County, NE | 7,010 | 1.5% |
| Hooker County, NE | 6,783 | 1.5% |
| Bennett County, SD | 6,585 | 0.9% |
| Thomas County, NE | 5,133 | 1.1% |
| Keith County, NE | 4,886 | 0.7% |
| Todd County, SD | 3,912 | 0.4% |
| Merrick County, NE | 3,202 | 1.0% |
| Kearney County, NE | 2,525 | 0.8% |
| Platte County, NE | 1,452 | 0.3% |
| Oglala Lakota County, SD | 1,382 | 0.1% |
| Ottawa County, KS | 1,106 | 0.2% |
| Logan County, CO | 847 | 0.1% |
| Hall County, NE | 694 | 0.2% |
| Greeley County, NE | 640 | 0.2% |
| Sanborn County, SD | 515 | 0.1% |
| Spink County, SD | 460 | 0.0% |
| Tripp County, SD | 423 | 0.0% |
| Box Butte County, NE | 348 | 0.1% |
| Nance County, NE | 227 | 0.1% |
| Boone County, NE | 201 | 0.0% |
| Howard County, NE | 200 | 0.1% |
| Hayes County, NE | 187 | 0.0% |
| Boyd County, NE | 163 | 0.0% |
| Valley County, NE | 146 | 0.0% |
| Knox County, NE | 53 | 0.0% |
| Banner County, NE | 48 | 0.0% |
| Deuel County, NE | 40 | 0.0% |
| Scotts Bluff County, NE | 34 | 0.0% |
| Antelope County, NE | 33 | 0.0% |
| Dawes County, NE | 30 | 0.0% |
| Phelps County, NE | 3 | 0.0% |
| Perkins County, NE | 2 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Els 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 Els acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.2 feet (26 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 1–2% (median 2%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.8%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 0.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 100.0% |
| 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) | 100.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| 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% |
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 Els (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 668,173 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Els components. The profile comes from the single largest Els component. Full methodology.