Soil series profile
Penden soil series
Penden is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 741,585 acres in 35 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 8.1 moderately alkaline · range 8.1–8.1
- Mapped area
- 742k acres in 35 counties, 2 states
Typical Penden profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–14 in (A) | Loam | 8.1 | 23% | 36% | 2.6% |
| 14–34 in (Bk) | Clay loam | 8.3 | 31% | 33% | 0.6% |
| 34–79 in (C) | Clay loam | 8.5 | 28% | 34% | 0.3% |
What this means
What Penden soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Penden soils is moderately alkaline: pH 8.1. 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 Penden acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is clay loam (54% of mapped Penden acres).
100% of mapped Penden 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 2% of the acres in mapped Penden soils very limited, 98% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Penden soil is found
Mapped acres
Penden is mapped in Kansas and Nebraska.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Graham County, KS | 91,710 | 16.0% |
| Trego County, KS | 91,209 | 15.9% |
| Hodgeman County, KS | 87,770 | 15.9% |
| Clark County, KS | 78,011 | 12.6% |
| Ford County, KS | 47,138 | 6.7% |
| Ness County, KS | 45,059 | 6.6% |
| Lane County, KS | 43,732 | 9.5% |
| Sheridan County, KS | 33,346 | 5.8% |
| Gove County, KS | 32,273 | 4.7% |
| Norton County, KS | 31,871 | 5.7% |
| Phillips County, KS | 29,105 | 5.1% |
| Finney County, KS | 25,069 | 3.0% |
| Decatur County, KS | 25,003 | 4.4% |
| Gray County, KS | 23,948 | 4.3% |
| Rooks County, KS | 21,616 | 3.8% |
| Smith County, KS | 7,119 | 1.2% |
| Rush County, KS | 5,355 | 1.2% |
| Wichita County, KS | 5,281 | 1.1% |
| Ellis County, KS | 4,390 | 0.8% |
| Kearny County, KS | 3,601 | 0.6% |
| Meade County, KS | 2,677 | 0.4% |
| Rawlins County, KS | 1,395 | 0.2% |
| Jewell County, KS | 1,097 | 0.2% |
| Logan County, KS | 966 | 0.1% |
| Pawnee County, KS | 659 | 0.1% |
| Scott County, KS | 656 | 0.1% |
| Barton County, KS | 604 | 0.1% |
| Kiowa County, KS | 496 | 0.1% |
| Franklin County, NE | 246 | 0.1% |
| Osborne County, KS | 56 | 0.0% |
| Greeley County, KS | 55 | 0.0% |
| Haskell County, KS | 45 | 0.0% |
| Edwards County, KS | 18 | 0.0% |
| Harlan County, NE | 8 | 0.0% |
| Russell County, KS | 2 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Penden acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 97.7% |
| Very limited | 2.3% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Penden 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 5–11% (median 9%).
- 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 | 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 | 100.0% |
| 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% |
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 Penden (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 741,585 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Penden components. The profile comes from the single largest Penden component. Full methodology.