Soil series profile
Forman soil series
Forman is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 863,563 acres in 31 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.0 neutral · range 6.8–7.2
- Mapped area
- 864k acres in 31 counties, 3 states
Typical Forman profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–8 in (Ap) | Loam | 7.2 | 22% | 39% | 4% |
| 8–14 in (Bt1) | Clay loam | 7.2 | 30% | 35% | 2% |
| 14–18 in (Bt2) | Clay loam | 7.2 | 30% | 35% | 1.7% |
| 18–35 in (Bk) | Clay loam | 7.9 | 28% | 38% | 1% |
| 35–79 in (C) | Loam | 7.9 | 26% | 38% | 0.3% |
What this means
What Forman soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Forman soils is neutral: pH 7.0 (most land between 6.8 and 7.2), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Forman acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (83% of mapped Forman acres).
100% of mapped Forman acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Forman 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 Forman soil is found
Mapped acres
Forman is mapped in South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Ward County, ND | 147,444 | 11.3% |
| Roberts County, SD | 109,386 | 15.5% |
| Day County, SD | 106,847 | 15.8% |
| Marshall County, SD | 104,421 | 19.1% |
| Sargent County, ND | 99,723 | 18.2% |
| Grant County, SD | 53,644 | 12.3% |
| Spink County, SD | 41,629 | 4.3% |
| Richland County, ND | 32,350 | 3.5% |
| Clark County, SD | 27,916 | 4.5% |
| McHenry County, ND | 20,281 | 1.7% |
| Deuel County, SD | 19,373 | 4.9% |
| Otter Tail County, MN | 16,993 | 1.4% |
| Brown County, SD | 13,314 | 1.2% |
| Lyon County, MN | 13,298 | 2.9% |
| Ransom County, ND | 9,413 | 1.7% |
| Lincoln County, MN | 7,378 | 2.1% |
| Dickey County, ND | 7,253 | 1.0% |
| Yellow Medicine County, MN | 7,046 | 1.5% |
| McLean County, ND | 6,031 | 0.4% |
| Mountrail County, ND | 5,361 | 0.5% |
| Lac qui Parle County, MN | 4,563 | 0.9% |
| Becker County, MN | 3,709 | 0.4% |
| McPherson County, SD | 3,322 | 0.5% |
| Douglas County, MN | 1,108 | 0.3% |
| Renville County, ND | 636 | 0.1% |
| Codington County, SD | 434 | 0.1% |
| Sheridan County, ND | 275 | 0.0% |
| Pope County, MN | 190 | 0.0% |
| Stevens County, MN | 172 | 0.0% |
| Wells County, ND | 44 | 0.0% |
| Traverse County, MN | 9 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Forman 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 Forman acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 4.9 feet (59 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 2–12% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 4%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 100.0% |
| 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) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 100.0% |
| 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 Forman (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 863,563 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Forman components. The profile comes from the single largest Forman component. Full methodology.