Soil series profile
Kalkaska soil series
Kalkaska is a somewhat excessively drained soil with a sand surface, mapped on 1,035,444 acres in 31 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Somewhat excessively drained 98% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.8 very strongly acidic · range 4.2–5.0
- Mapped area
- 1.0M acres in 31 counties, 2 states
Typical Kalkaska profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 in (Oi) | Slightly decomposed plant material | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 85% |
| 1–2 in (A) | Sand | 4.8 | 2% | 92% | 5.9% |
| 2–9 in (E) | Sand | 4.7 | 2% | 94% | 0.5% |
| 9–15 in (Bhs) | Sand | 5.1 | 2% | 94% | 2.2% |
| 15–31 in (Bs) | Sand | 5.1 | 1% | 96% | 1.1% |
| 31–56 in (BC) | Sand | 5.5 | 1% | 97% | 0.2% |
| 56–80 in (C) | Sand | 5.5 | 1% | 98% | 0% |
What this means
What Kalkaska soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Kalkaska soils is very strongly acidic: pH 4.8 (most land between 4.2 and 5.0). 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.
Sandy topsoil covers 100% of mapped Kalkaska acres. It drains fast and warms early in spring, but dries out and loses nutrients quickly: mulch, compost and steady watering help. The most common surface texture is sand (92% of mapped Kalkaska acres).
98% of mapped Kalkaska acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.
For lawns and yards
100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Kalkaska 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 Kalkaska soil is found
Mapped acres
Kalkaska is mapped in Michigan and Wisconsin.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Wexford County, MI | 116,562 | 32.3% |
| Alger County, MI | 109,332 | 18.7% |
| Antrim County, MI | 90,357 | 29.7% |
| Luce County, MI | 86,795 | 15.1% |
| Chippewa County, MI | 78,247 | 7.8% |
| Delta County, MI | 58,875 | 7.9% |
| Schoolcraft County, MI | 58,014 | 7.7% |
| Grand Traverse County, MI | 55,483 | 18.7% |
| Houghton County, MI | 49,635 | 7.7% |
| Marquette County, MI | 46,485 | 3.7% |
| Osceola County, MI | 44,254 | 12.3% |
| Otsego County, MI | 36,876 | 11.2% |
| Kalkaska County, MI | 35,717 | 10.0% |
| Cheboygan County, MI | 29,431 | 6.4% |
| Charlevoix County, MI | 28,619 | 10.6% |
| Emmet County, MI | 19,507 | 6.5% |
| Baraga County, MI | 19,275 | 3.3% |
| Crawford County, MI | 17,174 | 4.8% |
| Mackinac County, MI | 15,182 | 2.3% |
| Ontonagon County, MI | 9,134 | 1.1% |
| Missaukee County, MI | 8,918 | 2.5% |
| Leelanau County, MI | 7,169 | 3.3% |
| Lake County, MI | 4,748 | 1.3% |
| Vilas County, WI | 3,382 | 0.6% |
| Presque Isle County, MI | 2,433 | 0.6% |
| Gogebic County, MI | 2,431 | 0.3% |
| Dickinson County, MI | 464 | 0.1% |
| Iron County, MI | 448 | 0.1% |
| Muskegon County, MI | 299 | 0.1% |
| Shawano County, WI | 146 | 0.0% |
| Iron County, WI | 49 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Kalkaska 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 Kalkaska acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 9.2 feet (110 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 2–25% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 98.4% |
| Well drained | 1.6% |
| 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) | 100.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| 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 Kalkaska (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 1,035,444 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Kalkaska components. The profile comes from the single largest Kalkaska component. Full methodology.