Soil series profile
Useful soil series
Useful is a moderately well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 198,814 acres in 24 counties in MO. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 59% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.5 slightly acidic · range 5.7–6.5
- Mapped area
- 199k acres in 24 counties, 1 state
Typical Useful profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 6.5 | 24% | 6% | 1.5% |
| 7–31 in (Bt1) | Silty clay | 5.3 | 40% | 5% | 0.75% |
| 31–45 in (2Bt2) | Silty clay | 5.9 | 45% | 9% | 0.25% |
| 45–53 in (2Bt/Cr) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| 53–79 in (2R) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Useful soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Useful soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.5 (most land between 5.7 and 6.5), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Useful acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (100% of mapped Useful acres).
100% of mapped Useful 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 Useful 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 Useful soil is found
Mapped acres
Useful is mapped in Missouri.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Franklin County, MO | 63,330 | 10.9% |
| Jefferson County, MO | 56,125 | 13.4% |
| Washington County, MO | 18,307 | 3.8% |
| Maries County, MO | 15,141 | 4.5% |
| Osage County, MO | 9,662 | 2.5% |
| Gasconade County, MO | 8,443 | 2.6% |
| St. Clair County, MO | 7,530 | 1.7% |
| Phelps County, MO | 6,231 | 1.4% |
| Miller County, MO | 4,686 | 1.2% |
| Crawford County, MO | 4,628 | 1.0% |
| Cole County, MO | 1,821 | 0.7% |
| Moniteau County, MO | 1,147 | 0.4% |
| Camden County, MO | 565 | 0.1% |
| Cooper County, MO | 540 | 0.1% |
| Morgan County, MO | 344 | 0.1% |
| Pulaski County, MO | 168 | 0.0% |
| Henry County, MO | 53 | 0.0% |
| St. Francois County, MO | 32 | 0.0% |
| St. Louis County, MO | 29 | 0.0% |
| Laclede County, MO | 14 | 0.0% |
| Hickory County, MO | 12 | 0.0% |
| Pettis County, MO | 3 | 0.0% |
| Vernon County, MO | 1 | 0.0% |
| Dallas County, MO | 1 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Useful 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 Useful acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.6 feet (31 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 6–30% (median 12%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 0.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 100.0% |
| 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 | 41.1% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 58.9% |
| 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 Useful (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 198,814 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Useful components. The profile comes from the single largest Useful component. Full methodology.