Soil series profile
Minnequa soil series
Minnequa is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 499,759 acres in 29 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.8 slightly alkaline · range 7.8–7.9
- Mapped area
- 500k acres in 29 counties, 5 states
Typical Minnequa profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (A) | Silt loam | 7.8 | 24% | 20% | 0.75% |
| 6–17 in (Bw) | Silt loam | 8.2 | 26% | 15% | 0.25% |
| 17–35 in (Bk) | Silty clay loam | 8.4 | 30% | 20% | 0.25% |
| 35–60 in (Cr) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Minnequa soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Minnequa soils is slightly alkaline: pH 7.8 (most land between 7.8 and 7.9). 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 100% of mapped Minnequa acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (69% of mapped Minnequa acres).
100% of mapped Minnequa 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 99% of the acres in mapped Minnequa soils very limited, 1% 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 Minnequa soil is found
Mapped acres
Minnequa is mapped in Colorado, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Pueblo County, CO | 127,480 | 8.5% |
| Otero County, CO | 107,896 | 13.4% |
| Bent County, CO | 70,120 | 7.2% |
| Las Animas County, CO | 51,524 | 1.7% |
| Fall River County, SD | 46,552 | 4.2% |
| Baca County, CO | 21,570 | 1.3% |
| Huerfano County, CO | 13,441 | 1.3% |
| Logan County, KS | 10,965 | 1.6% |
| Prowers County, CO | 10,328 | 1.0% |
| Butte County, SD | 6,716 | 0.5% |
| Fremont County, CO | 6,487 | 0.7% |
| Oglala Lakota County, SD | 4,949 | 0.3% |
| Kiowa County, CO | 4,368 | 0.4% |
| Dawes County, NE | 4,277 | 0.5% |
| Custer County, SD | 2,947 | 0.3% |
| Larimer County, CO | 2,292 | 0.1% |
| Pennington County, SD | 2,033 | 0.1% |
| Lincoln County, CO | 1,470 | 0.1% |
| Sheridan County, NE | 1,418 | 0.1% |
| Lane County, KS | 1,364 | 0.3% |
| Crowley County, CO | 505 | 0.1% |
| El Paso County, CO | 476 | 0.0% |
| Gove County, KS | 337 | 0.0% |
| Niobrara County, WY | 221 | 0.0% |
| Custer County, CO | 9 | 0.0% |
| Ness County, KS | 7 | 0.0% |
| Wallace County, KS | 5 | 0.0% |
| Trego County, KS | 2 | 0.0% |
| Finney County, KS | 1 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Minnequa acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 1.0% |
| Very limited | 98.9% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Minnequa 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 2–7% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 0.8%.
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 | 100.0% |
| 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 Minnequa (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 499,759 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Minnequa components. The profile comes from the single largest Minnequa component. Full methodology.