Soil series profile
Tassel soil series
Tassel is a well drained soil with a sandy loam surface, mapped on 894,327 acres in 38 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 97% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D >99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.9 moderately alkaline · range 7.7–7.9
- Mapped area
- 894k acres in 38 counties, 4 states
Typical Tassel profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (Ap) | Sandy loam | 7.9 | 9% | 65% | 0.75% |
| 6–60 in (Cr) | Weathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Tassel soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Tassel soils is moderately alkaline: pH 7.9 (most land between 7.7 and 7.9). 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).
Sandy topsoil covers 52% of mapped Tassel 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 loamy very fine sand (42% of mapped Tassel acres).
>99% of mapped Tassel 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 Tassel 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 Tassel soil is found
Mapped acres
Tassel is mapped in Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado and South Dakota.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux County, NE | 161,566 | 12.2% |
| Kimball County, NE | 112,446 | 18.5% |
| Converse County, WY | 101,072 | 4.0% |
| Weston County, WY | 82,643 | 5.4% |
| Morrill County, NE | 52,594 | 5.8% |
| Sheridan County, NE | 49,580 | 3.2% |
| Goshen County, WY | 32,995 | 2.4% |
| Banner County, NE | 29,666 | 6.2% |
| Dawes County, NE | 29,092 | 3.3% |
| Niobrara County, WY | 26,527 | 1.5% |
| Laramie County, WY | 23,093 | 1.3% |
| Scotts Bluff County, NE | 22,494 | 4.8% |
| Box Butte County, NE | 19,802 | 2.9% |
| Garden County, NE | 19,340 | 1.8% |
| Weld County, CO | 17,930 | 0.7% |
| Todd County, SD | 12,103 | 1.4% |
| Crook County, WY | 11,132 | 0.6% |
| Gregory County, SD | 10,104 | 1.6% |
| Cheyenne County, NE | 10,098 | 1.3% |
| Bennett County, SD | 9,667 | 1.3% |
| El Paso County, CO | 7,807 | 0.5% |
| Big Horn County, WY | 7,671 | 0.3% |
| Johnson County, WY | 7,657 | 0.3% |
| Chase County, NE | 7,103 | 1.2% |
| Adams County, CO | 6,840 | 0.9% |
| Keith County, NE | 5,641 | 0.8% |
| Larimer County, CO | 5,307 | 0.3% |
| Morgan County, CO | 4,224 | 0.5% |
| Natrona County, WY | 2,436 | 0.1% |
| Arapahoe County, CO | 1,663 | 0.3% |
| Cherry County, NE | 842 | 0.0% |
| Oglala Lakota County, SD | 813 | 0.1% |
| Deuel County, NE | 806 | 0.3% |
| Dundy County, NE | 666 | 0.1% |
| Perkins County, NE | 508 | 0.1% |
| Park County, WY | 385 | 0.0% |
| Denver County, CO | 14 | 0.0% |
| Platte County, WY | 2 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Tassel acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 99.7% |
| Not rated | 0.3% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Tassel 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 8–40% (median 18%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.3% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 2.2% |
| Well drained | 97.2% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.3% |
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 | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 99.7% |
| 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 | 0.3% |
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 Tassel (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 894,327 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Tassel components. The profile comes from the single largest Tassel component. Full methodology.