Soil series profile
Vida soil series
Vida is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 1,106,806 acres in 28 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.2 neutral · range 7.0–7.2
- Mapped area
- 1.1M acres in 28 counties, 3 states
Typical Vida profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 in (Ap) | Loam | 7.2 | 24% | 37% | 3.5% |
| 5–9 in (Bt) | Clay loam | 7.4 | 31% | 35% | 2% |
| 9–30 in (Bk) | Clay loam | 8.3 | 29% | 34% | 1% |
| 30–55 in (BCk) | Loam | 8.6 | 26% | 38% | 0.5% |
| 55–79 in (C) | Loam | 8.6 | 26% | 38% | 0.5% |
What this means
What Vida soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Vida soils is neutral: pH 7.2 (most land between 7.0 and 7.2), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Vida acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (74% of mapped Vida acres).
100% of mapped Vida 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 Vida 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 Vida soil is found
Mapped acres
Vida is mapped in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Roosevelt County, MT | 227,257 | 15.0% |
| Blaine County, MT | 136,073 | 5.0% |
| Richland County, MT | 134,134 | 9.8% |
| Sheridan County, MT | 114,375 | 10.8% |
| Chouteau County, MT | 105,362 | 4.2% |
| Daniels County, MT | 92,861 | 10.2% |
| McCone County, MT | 73,100 | 4.3% |
| Williams County, ND | 65,302 | 4.9% |
| Toole County, MT | 60,427 | 5.6% |
| Hill County, MT | 28,479 | 1.5% |
| Dawson County, MT | 23,009 | 1.5% |
| Liberty County, MT | 18,079 | 2.0% |
| Glacier County, MT | 13,636 | 0.9% |
| Valley County, MT | 5,371 | 0.2% |
| Phillips County, MT | 3,085 | 0.1% |
| Faulk County, SD | 2,224 | 0.3% |
| Brown County, SD | 834 | 0.1% |
| Spink County, SD | 675 | 0.1% |
| Day County, SD | 580 | 0.1% |
| Marshall County, SD | 525 | 0.1% |
| Campbell County, SD | 475 | 0.1% |
| McPherson County, SD | 340 | 0.0% |
| McKenzie County, ND | 174 | 0.0% |
| Clark County, SD | 109 | 0.0% |
| Walworth County, SD | 73 | 0.0% |
| Edmunds County, SD | 41 | 0.0% |
| McIntosh County, ND | 4 | 0.0% |
| Judith Basin County, MT | 2 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Vida 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 Vida 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 2–10% (median 5%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 3.5%.
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 Vida (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 1,106,806 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Vida components. The profile comes from the single largest Vida component. Full methodology.