Soil series profile

Shukash soil series

Shukash is a somewhat excessively drained soil with a paragravelly ashy loamy coarse sand surface, mapped on 242,010 acres in 3 counties in OR. Hydrologic group A.

#1453 by mapped area ashy over loamy-skeletal Xeric Vitricryands (Andisols)

Drainage class: Somewhat excessively drained
Hydrologic group: A
Typical topsoil pH: 6.4
Mapped area: 242k

Typical Shukash profile

Texture and pH by depth

Depth to scale. More strongly shaded layers hold more clay. Horizon names are the soil survey's (A = topsoil, B = subsoil, C = parent material).

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Typical Shukash horizons (representative values)
Depth	Texture	pH	Clay	Sand	Organic matter
0–2 in (Oi)	Slightly decomposed plant material	5.0	Not reported	Not reported	75%
2–5 in (Oe)	Moderately decomposed plant material	5.0	Not reported	Not reported	75%
5–6 in (Oa)	Highly decomposed plant material	5.0	Not reported	Not reported	75%
6–9 in (A)	Paragravelly ashy loamy coarse sand	6.4	5%	80%	6%
9–18 in (AB)	Paragravelly ashy coarse sand	6.4	1%	95%	2.5%
18–34 in (Bw1)	Paragravelly ashy coarse sand	6.2	1%	95%	1.5%
34–44 in (2Bw2)	Very stony ashy fine sandy loam	6.4	11%	54%	1.5%
44–58 in (2Bw3)	Extremely stony ashy loam	6.4	17%	50%	1.5%
58–79 in (2Bt)	Extremely stony clay loam	7.0	30%	40%	0.5%

Representative values from the most extensive Shukash map unit (Shukash paragravelly ashy loamy coarse sand, 2 to 12 percent slopes, survey area OR683). Other map units of this series vary within the series range.

Stock photo for illustration, not a sample of this soil series. Credit on the Sources & method page.

What this means

What Shukash soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems

For gardens

Typical topsoil in Shukash soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.4 (most land between 6.4 and 6.6), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.

Sandy topsoil covers 100% of mapped Shukash acres. It drains fast and warms early in spring, but dries out and loses nutrients quickly: mulch, compost and steady watering help. The most common surface texture is paragravelly ashy loamy coarse sand (71% of mapped Shukash acres).

100% of mapped Shukash acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.

For lawns and yards

100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Shukash 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.

Generated from the mapped numbers above using fixed rules, not a site visit. See how these notes are written.

Where Shukash soil is found

Mapped acres

Shukash is mapped in Oregon.

Counties with the most mapped Shukash soil
County	Acres	Share of county land
Klamath County, OR	125,885	4.4%
Deschutes County, OR	76,082	3.9%
Lake County, OR	39,727	1.0%

Septic absorption fields

NRCS rating, share of Shukash acres

Not limited 0%

Somewhat limited 0%

Very limited 100%

Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Shukash acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Shukash acres.
Category	Share of acres
Not limited	0.0%
Somewhat limited	0.0%
Very limited	100.0%

Drainage, water table and flooding

Share of Shukash 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 3–23% (median 8%).
Topsoil organic matter: Median 2%.

Drainage class

Excessively drained 0%

Somewhat excessively drained 100%

Well drained 0%

Moderately well drained 0%

Somewhat poorly drained 0%

Poorly drained 0%

Very poorly drained 0%

Drainage class across mapped Shukash acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Drainage class across mapped Shukash acres.
Category	Share of acres
Excessively drained	0.0%
Somewhat excessively drained	100.0%
Well drained	0.0%
Moderately well drained	0.0%
Somewhat poorly drained	0.0%
Poorly drained	0.0%
Very poorly drained	0.0%

Hydrologic soil group

A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) 100%

B: moderate infiltration 0%

C: slow infiltration 0%

D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) 0%

A/D: D as is, A if drained 0%

B/D: D as is, B if drained 0%

C/D: D as is, C if drained 0%

Hydrologic soil group across mapped Shukash acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Hydrologic soil group across mapped Shukash acres.
Category	Share of acres
A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly)	100.0%
B: moderate infiltration	0.0%
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 Shukash (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 242,010 acres.
Method: Shares are by mapped acres of Shukash components. The profile comes from the single largest Shukash component. Full methodology.

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.

Full narrative description: USDA Official Soil Series Description for Shukash.