Soil series profile
Wanoga soil series
Wanoga is a well drained soil with a gravelly ashy loamy sand surface, mapped on 146,835 acres in 4 counties in OR. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 62% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.8 neutral · range 6.4–7.0
- Mapped area
- 147k acres in 4 counties, 1 state
Typical Wanoga profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 in (Oi) | Slightly decomposed plant material | 5.0 | 15% | 35% | 75% |
| 1–8 in (A1) | Gravelly ashy loamy sand | 6.4 | 5% | 80% | 2% |
| 8–23 in (A2) | Ashy sand | 6.8 | 5% | 90% | 1% |
| 23–29 in (Bw) | Ashy sandy loam | 6.8 | 10% | 70% | 0.4% |
| 29–39 in (2R) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Wanoga soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Wanoga soils is neutral: pH 6.8 (most land between 6.4 and 7.0), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Sandy topsoil covers 78% of mapped Wanoga 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 ashy sandy loam (40% of mapped Wanoga acres).
100% of mapped Wanoga acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
38% of mapped acres is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 100% of the acres in mapped Wanoga 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 Wanoga soil is found
Mapped acres
Wanoga is mapped in Oregon.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Deschutes County, OR | 84,107 | 4.3% |
| Lake County, OR | 54,426 | 1.3% |
| Jefferson County, OR | 7,136 | 0.7% |
| Klamath County, OR | 361 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Wanoga 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 Wanoga 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 5–20% (median 8%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2%.
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) | 38.2% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 61.8% |
| 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 Wanoga (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 146,835 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Wanoga components. The profile comes from the single largest Wanoga component. Full methodology.