Soil series profile
Pence soil series
Pence is a somewhat excessively drained soil with a sandy loam surface, mapped on 683,268 acres in 32 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Somewhat excessively drained 92% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 97% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.9 moderately acidic · range 5.3–5.9
- Mapped area
- 683k acres in 32 counties, 2 states
Typical Pence profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–3 in (A) | Sandy loam | 5.9 | 5% | 63% | 2% |
| 3–8 in (E) | Sandy loam | 5.9 | 5% | 65% | 0.75% |
| 8–15 in (Bs) | Gravelly sandy loam | 5.3 | 6% | 68% | 1.5% |
| 15–21 in (2BC) | Gravelly coarse sand | 5.5 | 2% | 90% | 0.25% |
| 21–79 in (2C) | Stratified sand to very gravelly coarse sand | 5.5 | 2% | 94% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Pence soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Pence soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.9 (most land between 5.3 and 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 98% of mapped Pence acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (88% of mapped Pence acres).
92% of mapped Pence acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.
For lawns and yards
97% of mapped acres is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 98% of the acres in mapped Pence soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (2% 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 Pence soil is found
Mapped acres
Pence is mapped in Wisconsin and Michigan.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Vilas County, WI | 66,649 | 12.0% |
| Forest County, WI | 60,045 | 9.3% |
| Sawyer County, WI | 57,253 | 7.1% |
| Oneida County, WI | 53,155 | 7.4% |
| Langlade County, WI | 49,419 | 8.9% |
| Florence County, WI | 41,980 | 13.5% |
| Oconto County, WI | 37,853 | 6.0% |
| Bayfield County, WI | 35,198 | 3.6% |
| Price County, WI | 34,934 | 4.4% |
| Iron County, WI | 33,788 | 7.0% |
| Iron County, MI | 31,327 | 4.2% |
| Marinette County, WI | 27,493 | 3.1% |
| Marquette County, MI | 27,475 | 2.2% |
| Lincoln County, WI | 23,048 | 4.1% |
| Ashland County, WI | 20,824 | 3.1% |
| Washburn County, WI | 13,404 | 2.6% |
| Chippewa County, MI | 11,841 | 1.2% |
| Douglas County, WI | 10,235 | 1.2% |
| Gogebic County, MI | 9,351 | 1.3% |
| Rusk County, WI | 8,968 | 1.5% |
| Dickinson County, MI | 7,923 | 1.4% |
| Menominee County, WI | 6,752 | 3.0% |
| Ontonagon County, MI | 6,156 | 0.7% |
| Taylor County, WI | 3,209 | 0.5% |
| Luce County, MI | 2,573 | 0.4% |
| Houghton County, MI | 980 | 0.2% |
| Delta County, MI | 578 | 0.1% |
| Schoolcraft County, MI | 275 | 0.0% |
| Alger County, MI | 259 | 0.0% |
| Baraga County, MI | 134 | 0.0% |
| Burnett County, WI | 121 | 0.0% |
| Mackinac County, MI | 69 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Pence acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 98.2% |
| Not rated | 1.8% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Pence acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 7.8 feet (94 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 | 91.7% |
| Well drained | 6.5% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 1.8% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 97.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 1.2% |
| 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% |
| Not rated | 1.8% |
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 Pence (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 683,268 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Pence components. The profile comes from the single largest Pence component. Full methodology.