Soil series profile
Ryker soil series
Ryker is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 45,071 acres in 10 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 98% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.9 moderately acidic · range 5.9–6.2
- Mapped area
- 45k acres in 10 counties, 2 states
Typical Ryker profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 5.9 | 19% | 6% | 1.9% |
| 6–10 in (BE) | Silt loam | 5.5 | 21% | 5% | 0.75% |
| 10–34 in (Bt1) | Silty clay loam | 5.2 | 27% | 7% | 0.5% |
| 34–63 in (2Bt2) | Silty clay loam | 5.0 | 30% | 18% | 0.25% |
| 63–80 in (3Bt3) | Silty clay | 5.0 | 55% | 5% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Ryker soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Ryker soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.9 (most land between 5.9 and 6.2). 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 Ryker acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (98% of mapped Ryker acres).
99% of mapped Ryker 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 4% of the acres in mapped Ryker soils very limited, 94% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (2% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Ryker soil is found
Mapped acres
Ryker is mapped in Indiana and Kentucky.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Clark County, IN | 13,857 | 5.8% |
| Jefferson County, IN | 11,199 | 4.9% |
| Trimble County, KY | 6,719 | 7.1% |
| Jennings County, IN | 5,024 | 2.1% |
| Owen County, IN | 3,689 | 1.5% |
| Monroe County, IN | 2,825 | 1.1% |
| Ripley County, IN | 1,408 | 0.5% |
| Perry County, IN | 217 | 0.1% |
| Henry County, KY | 125 | 0.1% |
| Martin County, IN | 8 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Ryker acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 93.7% |
| Very limited | 4.0% |
| Not rated | 2.2% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Ryker 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 4–9% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.9%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 98.9% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 1.1% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 97.8% |
| 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 | 2.2% |
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 Ryker (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 45,071 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Ryker components. The profile comes from the single largest Ryker component. Full methodology.