Soil series profile
Lester soil series
Lester is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 471,252 acres in 41 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 92% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.6 neutral · range 6.6–6.6
- Mapped area
- 471k acres in 41 counties, 2 states
Typical Lester profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (Ap) | Loam | 6.6 | 24% | 39% | 2.5% |
| 6–38 in (Bt) | Clay loam | 6.3 | 30% | 33% | 0.75% |
| 38–79 in (C) | Loam | 7.9 | 25% | 38% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Lester soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Lester soils is neutral: pH 6.6, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Lester acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (>99% of mapped Lester acres).
100% of mapped Lester acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 92% 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 97% of the acres in mapped Lester soils very limited, 3% 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 Lester soil is found
Mapped acres
Lester is mapped in Minnesota and Iowa.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Wright County, MN | 59,886 | 14.2% |
| Carver County, MN | 53,619 | 23.5% |
| Le Sueur County, MN | 50,805 | 17.7% |
| Hennepin County, MN | 50,534 | 14.2% |
| Scott County, MN | 39,897 | 17.6% |
| Rice County, MN | 26,658 | 8.4% |
| Freeborn County, MN | 17,300 | 3.8% |
| Waseca County, MN | 16,685 | 6.1% |
| McLeod County, MN | 11,502 | 3.6% |
| Greene County, IA | 11,365 | 3.1% |
| Polk County, IA | 10,104 | 2.8% |
| Webster County, IA | 9,903 | 2.2% |
| Sibley County, MN | 9,282 | 2.5% |
| Cerro Gordo County, IA | 8,799 | 2.4% |
| Nicollet County, MN | 8,035 | 2.8% |
| Blue Earth County, MN | 7,859 | 1.6% |
| Steele County, MN | 7,734 | 2.8% |
| Hardin County, IA | 7,725 | 2.1% |
| Story County, IA | 7,545 | 2.1% |
| Dakota County, MN | 6,835 | 1.9% |
| Humboldt County, IA | 6,185 | 2.2% |
| Winnebago County, IA | 6,040 | 2.4% |
| Dallas County, IA | 4,604 | 1.2% |
| Meeker County, MN | 4,069 | 1.0% |
| Boone County, IA | 4,040 | 1.1% |
| Hancock County, IA | 3,890 | 1.1% |
| Emmet County, IA | 2,945 | 1.2% |
| Kossuth County, IA | 2,032 | 0.3% |
| Franklin County, IA | 1,983 | 0.5% |
| Wright County, IA | 1,911 | 0.5% |
| Jasper County, IA | 1,812 | 0.4% |
| Worth County, IA | 1,787 | 0.7% |
| Martin County, MN | 1,750 | 0.4% |
| Guthrie County, IA | 1,460 | 0.4% |
| Hamilton County, IA | 1,265 | 0.3% |
| Marshall County, IA | 991 | 0.3% |
| Sac County, IA | 859 | 0.2% |
| Buena Vista County, IA | 588 | 0.2% |
| Kandiyohi County, MN | 511 | 0.1% |
| Carroll County, IA | 277 | 0.1% |
| Calhoun County, IA | 181 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Lester acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 2.9% |
| Very limited | 97.1% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Lester acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 4.6 feet (55 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 4–20% (median 8%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2.5%.
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 | 8.1% |
| C: slow infiltration | 91.9% |
| 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 Lester (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 471,252 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Lester components. The profile comes from the single largest Lester component. Full methodology.