Soil series profile
Wadena soil series
Wadena is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 149,135 acres in 51 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.9 moderately acidic · range 5.9–6.7
- Mapped area
- 149k acres in 51 counties, 2 states
Typical Wadena profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (Ap) | Loam | 5.9 | 21% | 40% | 2.5% |
| 7–17 in (A) | Loam | 6.3 | 20% | 45% | 1% |
| 17–30 in (Bw) | Loam | 6.5 | 20% | 50% | 0.25% |
| 30–79 in (2C) | Gravelly loamy coarse sand | 7.9 | 6% | 85% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Wadena soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Wadena soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.9 (most land between 5.9 and 6.7). Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers >99% of mapped Wadena acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (>99% of mapped Wadena acres).
100% of mapped Wadena acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 100% of the acres in mapped Wadena 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 Wadena soil is found
Mapped acres
Wadena is mapped in Iowa and Minnesota.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Dakota County, MN | 28,902 | 8.0% |
| Clay County, IA | 19,455 | 5.4% |
| Wright County, IA | 9,087 | 2.5% |
| Sioux County, IA | 7,703 | 1.6% |
| Buena Vista County, IA | 6,272 | 1.7% |
| Dickinson County, IA | 6,272 | 2.6% |
| Sac County, IA | 4,904 | 1.3% |
| Greene County, IA | 4,764 | 1.3% |
| Carroll County, IA | 4,682 | 1.3% |
| Calhoun County, IA | 4,651 | 1.3% |
| Osceola County, IA | 4,263 | 1.7% |
| Webster County, IA | 4,141 | 0.9% |
| Pocahontas County, IA | 3,551 | 1.0% |
| Hancock County, IA | 3,114 | 0.9% |
| Steele County, MN | 2,714 | 1.0% |
| Redwood County, MN | 2,656 | 0.5% |
| Jackson County, MN | 2,428 | 0.5% |
| Guthrie County, IA | 2,227 | 0.6% |
| Dallas County, IA | 2,112 | 0.6% |
| Cherokee County, IA | 2,029 | 0.6% |
| Hamilton County, IA | 1,986 | 0.5% |
| Humboldt County, IA | 1,885 | 0.7% |
| Polk County, IA | 1,836 | 0.5% |
| Carver County, MN | 1,776 | 0.8% |
| Kossuth County, IA | 1,714 | 0.3% |
| Blue Earth County, MN | 1,686 | 0.4% |
| Story County, IA | 1,268 | 0.3% |
| Renville County, MN | 1,252 | 0.2% |
| Le Sueur County, MN | 1,252 | 0.4% |
| Rice County, MN | 1,015 | 0.3% |
| Meeker County, MN | 1,010 | 0.3% |
| Boone County, IA | 927 | 0.3% |
| Emmet County, IA | 877 | 0.3% |
| Nicollet County, MN | 815 | 0.3% |
| Nobles County, MN | 709 | 0.2% |
| McLeod County, MN | 690 | 0.2% |
| Palo Alto County, IA | 467 | 0.1% |
| Plymouth County, IA | 467 | 0.1% |
| Martin County, MN | 328 | 0.1% |
| Scott County, MN | 255 | 0.1% |
| Murray County, MN | 161 | 0.0% |
| Brown County, MN | 144 | 0.0% |
| Freeborn County, MN | 137 | 0.0% |
| Yellow Medicine County, MN | 100 | 0.0% |
| Lincoln County, MN | 95 | 0.0% |
| Watonwan County, MN | 80 | 0.0% |
| Stearns County, MN | 80 | 0.0% |
| Lyon County, MN | 59 | 0.0% |
| Lac qui Parle County, MN | 58 | 0.0% |
| Faribault County, MN | 43 | 0.0% |
| Chippewa County, MN | 34 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Wadena 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 Wadena acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 3.9 feet (47 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 1–3% (median 1%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2.5%.
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 | 100.0% |
| 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 Wadena (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 149,135 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Wadena components. The profile comes from the single largest Wadena component. Full methodology.