Soil series profile
Houdek soil series
Houdek is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 858,764 acres in 21 counties in SD. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 97% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.7 neutral · range 6.7–6.7
- Mapped area
- 859k acres in 21 counties, 1 state
Typical Houdek profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (Ap) | Loam | 6.7 | 22% | 38% | 3% |
| 6–19 in (Bt) | Clay loam | 7.2 | 32% | 38% | 2% |
| 19–42 in (Bk) | Clay loam | 7.9 | 28% | 38% | 0.75% |
| 42–79 in (C) | Clay loam | 7.9 | 28% | 38% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Houdek soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Houdek soils is neutral: pH 6.7, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Houdek acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (97% of mapped Houdek acres).
100% of mapped Houdek acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 97% 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 Houdek 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 Houdek soil is found
Mapped acres
Houdek is mapped in South Dakota.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Hand County, SD | 276,221 | 30.1% |
| Beadle County, SD | 159,275 | 19.8% |
| Aurora County, SD | 126,711 | 28.0% |
| Davison County, SD | 50,273 | 19.5% |
| Miner County, SD | 40,511 | 11.6% |
| Jerauld County, SD | 37,582 | 11.1% |
| Kingsbury County, SD | 36,111 | 6.9% |
| Hyde County, SD | 31,166 | 5.6% |
| Sanborn County, SD | 26,611 | 7.3% |
| Moody County, SD | 22,369 | 6.7% |
| Spink County, SD | 14,558 | 1.5% |
| Clark County, SD | 7,140 | 1.2% |
| Faulk County, SD | 6,489 | 1.0% |
| Lake County, SD | 4,526 | 1.3% |
| Minnehaha County, SD | 4,108 | 0.8% |
| Douglas County, SD | 3,364 | 1.2% |
| Hanson County, SD | 2,615 | 0.3% |
| Hutchinson County, SD | 2,615 | 0.3% |
| Brule County, SD | 2,380 | 0.3% |
| Buffalo County, SD | 2,380 | 0.3% |
| Charles Mix County, SD | 1,758 | 0.3% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Houdek 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 Houdek 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 1–4% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 3%.
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 | 2.6% |
| C: slow infiltration | 97.4% |
| 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 Houdek (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 858,764 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Houdek components. The profile comes from the single largest Houdek component. Full methodology.