Soil series profile

Hanford soil series

Hanford is a well drained soil with a sandy loam surface, mapped on 481,822 acres in 16 counties in CA. Hydrologic group A.

#601 by mapped area coarse-loamy Typic Xerorthents (Entisols)

Drainage class: Well drained
Hydrologic group: A
Typical topsoil pH: 6.7
Mapped area: 482k

Typical Hanford profile

Texture and pH by depth

Depth to scale. More strongly shaded layers hold more clay. Horizon names are the soil survey's (A = topsoil, B = subsoil, C = parent material).

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Typical Hanford horizons (representative values)
Depth	Texture	pH	Clay	Sand	Organic matter
0–6 in (Ap)	Sandy loam	6.7	13%	68%	0.75%
6–30 in (C1)	Fine sandy loam	6.7	13%	71%	0.25%
30–60 in (C2)	Sandy loam	6.7	10%	67%	0.25%

Representative values from the most extensive Hanford map unit (Hanford sandy loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes, survey area CA659). Other map units of this series vary within the series range.

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

What this means

What Hanford soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems

For gardens

Typical topsoil in Hanford soils is neutral: pH 6.7 (most land between 6.7 and 7.0), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.

Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 76% of mapped Hanford acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (49% of mapped Hanford acres).

94% of mapped Hanford acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.

For lawns and yards

74% 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 78% of the acres in mapped Hanford soils very limited, 16% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (6% 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.

Flooding is mapped on 28% of the acres (<1% occasional, 0% frequent).

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 Hanford soil is found

Mapped acres

Hanford is mapped in California.

Counties with the most mapped Hanford soil
County	Acres	Share of county land
Fresno County, CA	103,311	2.2%
Kern County, CA	83,914	1.5%
Stanislaus County, CA	77,010	7.9%
Tulare County, CA	57,778	2.3%
Riverside County, CA	54,142	1.8%
Madera County, CA	36,588	3.8%
San Bernardino County, CA	36,100	0.7%
Merced County, CA	11,813	1.0%
San Luis Obispo County, CA	7,906	0.5%
San Benito County, CA	4,038	0.5%
Monterey County, CA	3,277	0.2%
Los Angeles County, CA	1,320	0.0%
Ventura County, CA	1,284	0.2%
Kings County, CA	1,276	0.1%
Orange County, CA	1,174	0.2%
San Diego County, CA	106	0.0%

Septic absorption fields

NRCS rating, share of Hanford acres

Not limited 0%

Somewhat limited 16%

Very limited 78%

Not rated 6%

Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Hanford acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Hanford acres.
Category	Share of acres
Not limited	0.0%
Somewhat limited	16.1%
Very limited	77.7%
Not rated	6.2%

Drainage, water table and flooding

Share of Hanford acres

Depth to seasonal high water table: About 0 inches (median where reported); within 18 inches on <1% of acres.
Flooding: Mapped as flooding on 28% of acres (<1% occasional, 0% frequent).
Slope: Typically 1–6% (median 1%).
Topsoil organic matter: Median 0.8%.

Drainage class

Excessively drained 0%

Somewhat excessively drained 0%

Well drained 94%

Moderately well drained 0%

Somewhat poorly drained <1%

Poorly drained 0%

Very poorly drained 0%

Not rated 6%

Drainage class across mapped Hanford acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Drainage class across mapped Hanford acres.
Category	Share of acres
Excessively drained	0.0%
Somewhat excessively drained	0.0%
Well drained	93.9%
Moderately well drained	0.0%
Somewhat poorly drained	0.1%
Poorly drained	0.0%
Very poorly drained	0.0%
Not rated	6.0%

Hydrologic soil group

A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) 74%

B: moderate infiltration 16%

C: slow infiltration 4%

D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) 0%

A/D: D as is, A if drained <1%

B/D: D as is, B if drained 0%

C/D: D as is, C if drained 0%

Not rated 6%

Hydrologic soil group across mapped Hanford acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Hydrologic soil group across mapped Hanford acres.
Category	Share of acres
A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly)	73.9%
B: moderate infiltration	16.0%
C: slow infiltration	3.8%
D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet)	0.0%
A/D: D as is, A if drained	0.1%
B/D: D as is, B if drained	0.0%
C/D: D as is, C if drained	0.0%
Not rated	6.3%

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 Hanford (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 481,822 acres.
Method: Shares are by mapped acres of Hanford components. The profile comes from the single largest Hanford component. Full methodology.

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.

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