Soil series profile
Kishona soil series
Kishona is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 639,502 acres in 12 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 96% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.9 moderately alkaline · range 7.8–8.0
- Mapped area
- 640k acres in 12 counties, 2 states
Typical Kishona profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 in (A) | Loam | 7.9 | 23% | 40% | 0.75% |
| 4–60 in (BC) | Loam | 8.5 | 25% | 37% | 0.75% |
What this means
What Kishona soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Kishona soils is moderately alkaline: pH 7.9 (most land between 7.8 and 8.0). Acid-loving plants such as blueberries and azaleas struggle without amended beds, and some trees and shrubs show iron chlorosis (yellow leaves with green veins).
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers >99% of mapped Kishona acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (88% of mapped Kishona acres).
>99% of mapped Kishona 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 13% of the acres in mapped Kishona soils very limited, 87% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Kishona soil is found
Mapped acres
Kishona is mapped in Wyoming and Montana.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson County, WY | 113,544 | 4.4% |
| Converse County, WY | 104,084 | 4.2% |
| Niobrara County, WY | 95,392 | 5.6% |
| Campbell County, WY | 82,161 | 2.7% |
| Washakie County, WY | 79,873 | 5.6% |
| Sheridan County, WY | 72,344 | 4.5% |
| Weston County, WY | 50,357 | 3.3% |
| Natrona County, WY | 33,535 | 1.0% |
| Platte County, WY | 1,452 | 0.1% |
| Park County, WY | 847 | 0.1% |
| Crook County, WY | 104 | 0.0% |
| Powder River County, MT | 70 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Kishona acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 86.8% |
| Very limited | 12.7% |
| Not rated | 0.4% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Kishona 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 3–17% (median 11%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 99.6% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.4% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 95.7% |
| C: slow infiltration | 3.8% |
| 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% |
| 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 Kishona (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 639,502 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Kishona components. The profile comes from the single largest Kishona component. Full methodology.