Soil series profile
Reeder soil series
Reeder is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 852,580 acres in 48 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C >99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.0 neutral · range 6.8–7.0
- Mapped area
- 853k acres in 48 counties, 4 states
Typical Reeder profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 in (Ap) | Loam | 6.8 | 20% | 45% | 2.25% |
| 5–19 in (Bt) | Clay loam | 7.0 | 28% | 40% | 1.5% |
| 19–35 in (Bk) | Clay loam | 7.9 | 28% | 40% | 0.75% |
| 35–55 in (Cr) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Reeder soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Reeder soils is neutral: pH 7.0 (most land between 6.8 and 7.0), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers >99% of mapped Reeder acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (97% of mapped Reeder acres).
>99% of mapped Reeder acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On >99% 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 Reeder soils very limited, 0% 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 Reeder soil is found
Mapped acres
Reeder is mapped in South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Corson County, SD | 197,912 | 12.6% |
| Perkins County, SD | 120,533 | 6.6% |
| Ziebach County, SD | 74,815 | 6.0% |
| Lewis and Clark County, MT | 72,846 | 3.5% |
| Valley County, MT | 65,174 | 2.0% |
| Big Horn County, MT | 45,107 | 1.0% |
| Harding County, SD | 37,049 | 2.2% |
| Dewey County, SD | 34,701 | 2.4% |
| Bowman County, ND | 33,852 | 4.6% |
| Cascade County, MT | 19,189 | 1.3% |
| Emmons County, ND | 17,991 | 1.9% |
| Glacier County, MT | 16,316 | 1.0% |
| Sioux County, ND | 12,575 | 1.8% |
| Morton County, ND | 10,911 | 0.9% |
| McKenzie County, ND | 10,750 | 0.6% |
| Hettinger County, ND | 9,638 | 1.3% |
| Fallon County, MT | 7,811 | 0.8% |
| Chouteau County, MT | 7,715 | 0.3% |
| Stark County, ND | 7,366 | 0.9% |
| Carter County, MT | 6,068 | 0.3% |
| McIntosh County, ND | 5,586 | 0.9% |
| Dunn County, ND | 3,934 | 0.3% |
| Mercer County, ND | 3,769 | 0.6% |
| Slope County, ND | 3,632 | 0.5% |
| Blaine County, MT | 3,474 | 0.1% |
| Oliver County, ND | 3,467 | 0.8% |
| Toole County, MT | 3,421 | 0.3% |
| Logan County, ND | 3,400 | 0.5% |
| Sheridan County, WY | 2,801 | 0.2% |
| Fergus County, MT | 2,271 | 0.1% |
| Carbon County, MT | 1,979 | 0.2% |
| Grant County, ND | 1,755 | 0.2% |
| Williams County, ND | 1,595 | 0.1% |
| Stillwater County, MT | 1,035 | 0.1% |
| Pondera County, MT | 630 | 0.1% |
| Liberty County, MT | 622 | 0.1% |
| Adams County, ND | 331 | 0.1% |
| Burleigh County, ND | 193 | 0.0% |
| McLean County, ND | 85 | 0.0% |
| Meade County, SD | 65 | 0.0% |
| Billings County, ND | 63 | 0.0% |
| Mountrail County, ND | 40 | 0.0% |
| Judith Basin County, MT | 38 | 0.0% |
| Golden Valley County, ND | 38 | 0.0% |
| Hill County, MT | 32 | 0.0% |
| Phillips County, MT | 7 | 0.0% |
| Johnson County, WY | 1 | 0.0% |
| Rosebud County, MT | 1 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Reeder acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 99.9% |
| Not rated | 0.1% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Reeder 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 4–12% (median 5%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 3%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 99.9% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.1% |
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 | 99.9% |
| 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% |
| Not rated | 0.1% |
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 Reeder (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 852,580 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Reeder components. The profile comes from the single largest Reeder component. Full methodology.