Soil series profile
Ida soil series
Ida is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 681,839 acres in 31 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.7 slightly alkaline · range 7.6–7.7
- Mapped area
- 682k acres in 31 counties, 3 states
Typical Ida profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 7.7 | 21% | 7% | 1.5% |
| 4–79 in (C) | Silt loam | 8.0 | 20% | 6% | 0.3% |
What this means
What Ida soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Ida soils is slightly alkaline: pH 7.7 (most land between 7.6 and 7.7). Acid-loving plants such as blueberries and azaleas struggle without amended beds, and some trees and shrubs show iron chlorosis (yellow leaves with green veins).
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Ida acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (100% of mapped Ida acres).
100% of mapped Ida acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 56% of the acres in mapped Ida soils very limited, 44% 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 Ida soil is found
Mapped acres
Ida is mapped in Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Woodbury County, IA | 138,318 | 24.8% |
| Plymouth County, IA | 82,654 | 15.0% |
| Harrison County, IA | 76,528 | 17.2% |
| Monona County, IA | 73,630 | 16.6% |
| Pottawattamie County, IA | 70,360 | 11.6% |
| Crawford County, IA | 31,565 | 6.9% |
| Thurston County, NE | 23,856 | 9.5% |
| Mills County, IA | 23,763 | 8.5% |
| Burt County, NE | 22,927 | 7.3% |
| Shelby County, IA | 21,326 | 5.7% |
| Washington County, NE | 20,012 | 8.0% |
| Atchison County, MO | 18,256 | 5.3% |
| Ida County, IA | 14,564 | 5.3% |
| Fremont County, IA | 11,893 | 3.6% |
| Richardson County, NE | 7,373 | 2.1% |
| Sioux County, IA | 7,365 | 1.5% |
| Douglas County, NE | 6,971 | 3.3% |
| Nemaha County, NE | 6,762 | 2.6% |
| Sarpy County, NE | 6,615 | 4.3% |
| Saunders County, NE | 4,103 | 0.9% |
| Dakota County, NE | 4,014 | 2.4% |
| Carroll County, IA | 2,994 | 0.8% |
| Cass County, NE | 1,959 | 0.6% |
| Sac County, IA | 1,380 | 0.4% |
| Cherokee County, IA | 1,245 | 0.3% |
| Audubon County, IA | 731 | 0.3% |
| Holt County, MO | 490 | 0.2% |
| Butler County, NE | 129 | 0.0% |
| Lancaster County, NE | 33 | 0.0% |
| Otoe County, NE | 18 | 0.0% |
| Dodge County, NE | 3 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Ida acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 44.4% |
| Very limited | 55.6% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Ida acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 1.0 feet (12 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 7–25% (median 17%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
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 | 100.0% |
| 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 Ida (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 681,839 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Ida components. The profile comes from the single largest Ida component. Full methodology.