Soil series profile
Labette soil series
Labette is a well drained soil with a silty clay loam surface, mapped on 660,268 acres in 33 counties in KS. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.1 slightly acidic · range 6.1–6.1
- Mapped area
- 660k acres in 33 counties, 1 state
Typical Labette profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (A) | Silty clay loam | 6.1 | 35% | 4% | 3% |
| 7–13 in (BA) | Silty clay loam | 6.1 | 38% | 5% | 2% |
| 13–29 in (Bt) | Silty clay | 7.0 | 54% | 1% | 0.7% |
| 29–36 in (C) | Silty clay | 7.0 | 55% | 1% | 0.6% |
| 36–46 in (R) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Labette soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Labette soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.1, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Labette acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silty clay loam (>99% of mapped Labette acres).
100% of mapped Labette acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Labette 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 Labette soil is found
Mapped acres
Labette is mapped in Kansas.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Butler County, KS | 143,107 | 15.7% |
| Cowley County, KS | 97,058 | 13.5% |
| Greenwood County, KS | 85,493 | 11.7% |
| Chase County, KS | 79,603 | 16.1% |
| Morris County, KS | 69,639 | 15.7% |
| Marion County, KS | 38,489 | 6.4% |
| Wabaunsee County, KS | 35,687 | 7.0% |
| Lyon County, KS | 31,280 | 5.7% |
| Elk County, KS | 19,219 | 4.6% |
| Shawnee County, KS | 14,580 | 4.2% |
| Pottawatomie County, KS | 9,381 | 1.7% |
| Dickinson County, KS | 6,602 | 1.2% |
| Riley County, KS | 6,549 | 1.7% |
| Chautauqua County, KS | 6,369 | 1.6% |
| Geary County, KS | 5,706 | 2.3% |
| Marshall County, KS | 3,071 | 0.5% |
| Sedgwick County, KS | 1,621 | 0.3% |
| Harvey County, KS | 1,122 | 0.3% |
| Washington County, KS | 1,073 | 0.2% |
| Jackson County, KS | 916 | 0.2% |
| Clay County, KS | 785 | 0.2% |
| Osage County, KS | 745 | 0.2% |
| McPherson County, KS | 681 | 0.1% |
| Saline County, KS | 473 | 0.1% |
| Woodson County, KS | 284 | 0.1% |
| Douglas County, KS | 220 | 0.1% |
| Brown County, KS | 211 | 0.1% |
| Sumner County, KS | 94 | 0.0% |
| Leavenworth County, KS | 93 | 0.0% |
| Wilson County, KS | 51 | 0.0% |
| Jefferson County, KS | 36 | 0.0% |
| Nemaha County, KS | 20 | 0.0% |
| Coffey County, KS | 10 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Labette 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 Labette 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 2–5% (median 2%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 3%.
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 | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 100.0% |
| 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 Labette (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 660,268 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Labette components. The profile comes from the single largest Labette component. Full methodology.