Soil series profile
Sibley soil series
Sibley is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 156,998 acres in 23 counties in MO. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.6 neutral · range 6.6–6.7
- Mapped area
- 157k acres in 23 counties, 1 state
Typical Sibley profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–11 in (Ap1) | Silt loam | 6.6 | 24% | 7% | 2.75% |
| 11–18 in (Ap2) | Silt loam | 6.9 | 27% | 5% | 2.26% |
| 18–49 in (Bt) | Silty clay loam | 5.8 | 32% | 4% | 1.22% |
| 49–72 in (C) | Silty clay loam | 5.6 | 28% | 4% | 0.29% |
What this means
What Sibley soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Sibley soils is neutral: pH 6.6 (most land between 6.6 and 6.7), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Sibley acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (100% of mapped Sibley acres).
100% of mapped Sibley acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Sibley 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 Sibley soil is found
Mapped acres
Sibley is mapped in Missouri.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Saline County, MO | 64,809 | 13.4% |
| Jackson County, MO | 40,356 | 10.4% |
| Platte County, MO | 18,936 | 7.0% |
| Ray County, MO | 5,859 | 1.6% |
| Lafayette County, MO | 5,778 | 1.4% |
| Clay County, MO | 5,155 | 2.0% |
| Howard County, MO | 5,005 | 1.7% |
| Buchanan County, MO | 3,949 | 1.5% |
| Clinton County, MO | 2,768 | 1.0% |
| Carroll County, MO | 830 | 0.2% |
| Nodaway County, MO | 808 | 0.1% |
| Andrew County, MO | 699 | 0.3% |
| Atchison County, MO | 671 | 0.2% |
| DeKalb County, MO | 370 | 0.1% |
| Worth County, MO | 331 | 0.2% |
| Chariton County, MO | 265 | 0.1% |
| Johnson County, MO | 257 | 0.0% |
| Cass County, MO | 75 | 0.0% |
| Cooper County, MO | 62 | 0.0% |
| Holt County, MO | 8 | 0.0% |
| Caldwell County, MO | 5 | 0.0% |
| Pettis County, MO | 4 | 0.0% |
| Gentry County, MO | 0 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Sibley acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 100.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Sibley 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 4–7% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2.8%.
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 | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 100.0% |
| 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 Sibley (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 156,998 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Sibley components. The profile comes from the single largest Sibley component. Full methodology.