Soil series profile
Padus soil series
Padus is a well drained soil with a sandy loam surface, mapped on 594,739 acres in 26 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 94% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 92% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.9 moderately acidic · range 5.9–5.9
- Mapped area
- 595k acres in 26 counties, 3 states
Typical Padus profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 in (A) | Sandy loam | 5.9 | 6% | 60% | 2% |
| 2–3 in (E) | Sandy loam | 5.5 | 5% | 62% | 0.75% |
| 3–19 in (Bs) | Sandy loam | 5.3 | 6% | 62% | 1.5% |
| 19–26 in (E/B) | Sandy loam | 5.5 | 7% | 65% | 0.25% |
| 26–38 in (B/E) | Sandy loam | 5.5 | 9% | 66% | 0.25% |
| 38–79 in (2C) | Stratified sand to very gravelly coarse sand | 5.5 | 2% | 94% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Padus soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Padus soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.9. Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 96% of mapped Padus acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (85% of mapped Padus acres).
97% of mapped Padus 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 97% of the acres in mapped Padus soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (3% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
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 Padus soil is found
Mapped acres
Padus is mapped in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Forest County, WI | 115,171 | 17.8% |
| Oneida County, WI | 103,974 | 14.6% |
| Florence County, WI | 52,931 | 17.0% |
| Sawyer County, WI | 49,831 | 6.2% |
| Oconto County, WI | 41,836 | 6.6% |
| Vilas County, WI | 38,242 | 6.9% |
| Menominee County, WI | 32,159 | 14.1% |
| Price County, WI | 30,049 | 3.8% |
| Iron County, MI | 23,825 | 3.2% |
| Marinette County, WI | 23,821 | 2.7% |
| Bayfield County, WI | 22,296 | 2.3% |
| Lincoln County, WI | 20,317 | 3.6% |
| Ashland County, WI | 11,990 | 1.8% |
| Iron County, WI | 6,524 | 1.3% |
| Rusk County, WI | 5,815 | 1.0% |
| Langlade County, WI | 5,604 | 1.0% |
| Washburn County, WI | 3,084 | 0.6% |
| Taylor County, WI | 2,392 | 0.4% |
| Marquette County, MI | 1,557 | 0.1% |
| Douglas County, WI | 1,212 | 0.1% |
| Chippewa County, MI | 791 | 0.1% |
| Gogebic County, MI | 615 | 0.1% |
| Dickinson County, MI | 595 | 0.1% |
| Luce County, MI | 84 | 0.0% |
| Washington County, MN | 21 | 0.0% |
| Ramsey County, MN | 1 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Padus acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 96.9% |
| Not rated | 3.1% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Padus acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.0 feet (24 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 3–23% (median 11%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 93.9% |
| Moderately well drained | 3.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 3.1% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 2.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 91.9% |
| C: slow infiltration | 3.0% |
| 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% |
| Not rated | 3.1% |
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 Padus (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 594,739 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Padus components. The profile comes from the single largest Padus component. Full methodology.