Soil series profile
Kenyon soil series
Kenyon is a moderately well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 474,443 acres in 34 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.8 moderately acidic · range 5.8–5.8
- Mapped area
- 474k acres in 34 counties, 2 states
Typical Kenyon profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–9 in (Ap) | Loam | 5.8 | 21% | 36% | 2.9% |
| 9–14 in (A) | Loam | 5.5 | 21% | 33% | 2.8% |
| 14–19 in (AB) | Loam | 5.7 | 25% | 32% | 1.5% |
| 19–41 in (2Bw1) | Loam | 5.9 | 25% | 45% | 0.5% |
| 41–55 in (2Bw2) | Loam | 5.9 | 25% | 45% | 0.5% |
| 55–71 in (2BC1) | Loam | 6.5 | 24% | 44% | 0.25% |
| 71–79 in (2BC2) | Loam | 6.5 | 24% | 44% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Kenyon soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Kenyon soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.8. Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Kenyon acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (96% of mapped Kenyon acres).
100% of mapped Kenyon acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 99% 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 99% of the acres in mapped Kenyon soils very limited, 1% 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 Kenyon soil is found
Mapped acres
Kenyon is mapped in Iowa and Minnesota.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Fayette County, IA | 58,847 | 12.6% |
| Buchanan County, IA | 58,407 | 16.0% |
| Delaware County, IA | 46,459 | 12.6% |
| Linn County, IA | 40,191 | 8.8% |
| Black Hawk County, IA | 36,199 | 10.0% |
| Butler County, IA | 30,201 | 8.2% |
| Benton County, IA | 24,870 | 5.4% |
| Cerro Gordo County, IA | 23,850 | 6.6% |
| Chickasaw County, IA | 22,519 | 7.0% |
| Grundy County, IA | 19,209 | 6.0% |
| Bremer County, IA | 18,375 | 6.6% |
| Floyd County, IA | 17,620 | 5.5% |
| Howard County, IA | 17,030 | 5.6% |
| Fillmore County, MN | 11,203 | 2.0% |
| Mitchell County, IA | 7,360 | 2.5% |
| Olmsted County, MN | 6,220 | 1.5% |
| Jones County, IA | 4,648 | 1.3% |
| Franklin County, IA | 3,961 | 1.1% |
| Mower County, MN | 3,651 | 0.8% |
| Clayton County, IA | 3,003 | 0.6% |
| Clinton County, IA | 2,998 | 0.7% |
| Johnson County, IA | 2,959 | 0.8% |
| Dubuque County, IA | 2,701 | 0.7% |
| Cedar County, IA | 2,689 | 0.7% |
| Worth County, IA | 2,306 | 0.9% |
| Dodge County, MN | 2,154 | 0.8% |
| Goodhue County, MN | 2,025 | 0.4% |
| Tama County, IA | 1,011 | 0.2% |
| Iowa County, IA | 941 | 0.3% |
| Scott County, IA | 410 | 0.1% |
| Rice County, MN | 188 | 0.1% |
| Winneshiek County, IA | 111 | 0.0% |
| Hardin County, IA | 109 | 0.0% |
| Marshall County, IA | 20 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Kenyon acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 1.1% |
| Very limited | 98.9% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Kenyon acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 3.9 feet (47 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 3–7% (median 3%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2.9%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 0.8% |
| Moderately well drained | 99.2% |
| 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 | 1.4% |
| C: slow infiltration | 98.6% |
| 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 Kenyon (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 474,443 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Kenyon components. The profile comes from the single largest Kenyon component. Full methodology.