Soil series profile

Kewaunee soil series

Kewaunee is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 462,730 acres in 16 counties in WI. Hydrologic group D.

#641 by mapped area fine Typic Hapludalfs (Alfisols)

Drainage class: Well drained
Hydrologic group: D
Typical topsoil pH: 6.5
Mapped area: 463k

Typical Kewaunee profile

Texture and pH by depth

Depth to scale. More strongly shaded layers hold more clay. Horizon names are the soil survey's (A = topsoil, B = subsoil, C = parent material).

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Typical Kewaunee horizons (representative values)
Depth	Texture	pH	Clay	Sand	Organic matter
0–7 in (Ap)	Silt loam	6.5	20%	26%	2%
7–14 in (Bt1)	Silty clay loam	7.0	37%	13%	0.75%
14–22 in (2Bt2)	Silty clay	7.0	47%	10%	0.5%
22–28 in (2BC)	Silty clay loam	7.0	39%	20%	0.1%
28–79 in (2Cd)	Silty clay loam	7.9	37%	18%	0.05%

Representative values from the most extensive Kewaunee map unit (Kewaunee silt loam, 2 to 6 percent slopes, eroded, survey area WI009). Other map units of this series vary within the series range.

Stock photo for illustration, not a sample of this soil series. Credit on the Sources & method page.

What this means

What Kewaunee soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems

For gardens

Typical topsoil in Kewaunee soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.5, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.

Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 97% of mapped Kewaunee acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (56% of mapped Kewaunee acres).

100% of mapped Kewaunee 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 94% of the acres in mapped Kewaunee soils very limited, 5% 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.

Generated from the mapped numbers above using fixed rules, not a site visit. See how these notes are written.

Where Kewaunee soil is found

Mapped acres

Kewaunee is mapped in Wisconsin.

Counties with the most mapped Kewaunee soil
County	Acres	Share of county land
Brown County, WI	80,207	26.8%
Manitowoc County, WI	78,491	20.8%
Sheboygan County, WI	67,821	20.7%
Calumet County, WI	50,458	24.7%
Ozaukee County, WI	43,807	29.5%
Winnebago County, WI	41,732	14.9%
Kewaunee County, WI	26,138	11.9%
Fond du Lac County, WI	23,354	5.1%
Outagamie County, WI	21,791	5.3%
Door County, WI	14,616	4.5%
Adams County, WI	7,294	1.8%
Milwaukee County, WI	3,581	2.3%
Waushara County, WI	3,255	0.8%
Green Lake County, WI	93	0.0%
Marquette County, WI	58	0.0%
Shawano County, WI	33	0.0%

Septic absorption fields

NRCS rating, share of Kewaunee acres

Not limited 0%

Somewhat limited 5%

Very limited 94%

Not rated <1%

Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Kewaunee acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Kewaunee acres.
Category	Share of acres
Not limited	0.0%
Somewhat limited	5.4%
Very limited	94.2%
Not rated	0.4%

Drainage, water table and flooding

Share of Kewaunee acres

Depth to seasonal high water table: About 5.8 feet (69 in) (median where reported).
Flooding: Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
Slope: Typically 4–9% (median 4%).
Topsoil organic matter: Median 2%.

Drainage class

Excessively drained 0%

Somewhat excessively drained 0%

Well drained 100%

Moderately well drained 0%

Somewhat poorly drained 0%

Poorly drained 0%

Very poorly drained 0%

Drainage class across mapped Kewaunee acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Drainage class across mapped Kewaunee acres.
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

A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) 0%

B: moderate infiltration 0%

C: slow infiltration 4%

D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) 95%

A/D: D as is, A if drained 0%

B/D: D as is, B if drained 0%

C/D: D as is, C if drained 0%

Not rated <1%

Hydrologic soil group across mapped Kewaunee acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Hydrologic soil group across mapped Kewaunee acres.
Category	Share of acres
A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly)	0.0%
B: moderate infiltration	0.0%
C: slow infiltration	4.1%
D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet)	95.4%
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%
Not rated	0.4%

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 Kewaunee (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 462,730 acres.
Method: Shares are by mapped acres of Kewaunee components. The profile comes from the single largest Kewaunee component. Full methodology.

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.

Full narrative description: USDA Official Soil Series Description for Kewaunee.