Soil series profile
Klickitat soil series
Klickitat is a well drained soil with a stony loam surface, mapped on 254,372 acres in 10 counties in OR. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · range 5.3–5.6
- Mapped area
- 254k acres in 10 counties, 1 state
Typical Klickitat profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 in (Oi) | Slightly decomposed plant material | 4.5 | 15% | 35% | 75% |
| 2–15 in (H1) | Stony loam | 5.3 | 24% | 39% | 4.5% |
| 15–41 in (H2) | Very cobbly clay loam | 5.0 | 30% | 34% | 1.75% |
| 41–52 in (H3) | Extremely cobbly loam | 5.0 | 24% | 39% | 0.25% |
| 52–56 in (H4) | Unweathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Klickitat soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Klickitat soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 5.3 and 5.6). 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.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Klickitat acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is stony loam (75% of mapped Klickitat acres).
100% of mapped Klickitat 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 100% of the acres in mapped Klickitat 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 Klickitat soil is found
Mapped acres
Klickitat is mapped in Oregon.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Lane County, OR | 131,591 | 8.4% |
| Linn County, OR | 33,610 | 4.0% |
| Douglas County, OR | 32,548 | 1.8% |
| Polk County, OR | 24,701 | 5.9% |
| Clackamas County, OR | 20,846 | 3.7% |
| Yamhill County, OR | 4,489 | 1.0% |
| Lincoln County, OR | 3,475 | 0.7% |
| Washington County, OR | 2,650 | 0.7% |
| Columbia County, OR | 459 | 0.1% |
| Tillamook County, OR | 2 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Klickitat 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 Klickitat 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 40–75% (median 63%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 4.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| 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
Show as a table
| 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 Klickitat (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 254,372 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Klickitat components. The profile comes from the single largest Klickitat component. Full methodology.