Soil series profile
Jory soil series
Jory is a well drained soil with a silty clay loam surface, mapped on 218,239 acres in 9 counties in OR. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.5 strongly acidic · range 5.5–5.6
- Mapped area
- 218k acres in 9 counties, 1 state
Typical Jory profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–13 in (H1) | Silty clay loam | 5.5 | 34% | 19% | 4.5% |
| 13–60 in (H2) | Silty clay | 5.0 | 53% | 3% | 1.25% |

What this means
What Jory soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Jory soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.5 (most land between 5.5 and 5.6). Most vegetables and lawn grasses do best around 6.0 to 7.0, so lime is often needed; blueberries, azaleas and rhododendrons like it as it is.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Jory acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silty clay loam (97% of mapped Jory acres).
100% of mapped Jory 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 Jory 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 Jory soil is found
Mapped acres
Jory is mapped in Oregon.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Clackamas County, OR | 47,214 | 8.5% |
| Benton County, OR | 44,088 | 11.4% |
| Polk County, OR | 31,815 | 7.6% |
| Marion County, OR | 22,286 | 4.4% |
| Yamhill County, OR | 21,014 | 4.8% |
| Douglas County, OR | 17,875 | 1.0% |
| Linn County, OR | 15,589 | 1.9% |
| Lane County, OR | 14,026 | 0.9% |
| Washington County, OR | 2,867 | 0.7% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Jory 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 Jory 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 5–25% (median 16%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 4.5%.
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 | 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 Jory (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 218,239 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Jory components. The profile comes from the single largest Jory component. Full methodology.