Soil series profile

Kinney soil series

Kinney is a well drained soil with a cobbly loam surface, mapped on 279,607 acres in 6 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group B.

#1237 by mapped area fine-loamy Andic Haplumbrepts (Inceptisols)

Drainage class: Well drained
Hydrologic group: B
Typical topsoil pH: 5.8
Mapped area: 280k

Typical Kinney 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 Kinney horizons (representative values)
Depth	Texture	pH	Clay	Sand	Organic matter
0–2 in (Oi)	Slightly decomposed plant material	4.5	15%	35%	75%
2–12 in (H1)	Cobbly loam	5.8	23%	40%	6%
12–42 in (H2)	Cobbly clay loam	5.0	28%	34%	2.25%
42–55 in (H3)	Cobbly loam	4.5	21%	42%	0.25%
55–65 in (H4)	Weathered bedrock	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported

Representative values from the most extensive Kinney map unit (Kinney cobbly loam, 20 to 50 percent slopes, survey area OR643). 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 Kinney soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems

For gardens

Typical topsoil in Kinney soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.8 (most land between 5.4 and 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 Kinney acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is cobbly loam (54% of mapped Kinney acres).

100% of mapped Kinney 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 87% of the acres in mapped Kinney soils very limited, 14% 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 Kinney soil is found

Mapped acres

Kinney is mapped in Oregon and Washington.

Counties with the most mapped Kinney soil
County	Acres	Share of county land
Lane County, OR	55,012	3.5%
Linn County, OR	47,346	5.6%
Marion County, OR	37,032	7.4%
Clark County, WA	24,210	6.0%
Clackamas County, OR	15,613	2.8%
Douglas County, OR	10,397	0.6%

Septic absorption fields

NRCS rating, share of Kinney acres

Not limited 0%

Somewhat limited 14%

Very limited 87%

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

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Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Kinney acres.
Category	Share of acres
Not limited	0.0%
Somewhat limited	13.5%
Very limited	86.5%

Drainage, water table and flooding

Share of Kinney 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 12–60% (median 35%).
Topsoil organic matter: Median 6%.

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 Kinney acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Drainage class across mapped Kinney 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 100%

C: slow infiltration 0%

D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) 0%

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%

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

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Hydrologic soil group across mapped Kinney acres.
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 Kinney (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 279,607 acres.
Method: Shares are by mapped acres of Kinney components. The profile comes from the single largest Kinney component. Full methodology.

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.

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