Soil series profile
Wawasee soil series
Wawasee is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 348,560 acres in 25 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 56% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.5 slightly acidic · range 6.1–6.5
- Mapped area
- 349k acres in 25 counties, 2 states
Typical Wawasee profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (Ap) | Loam | 6.1 | 17% | 43% | 2% |
| 7–31 in (Bt) | Clay loam | 7.0 | 28% | 34% | 0.5% |
| 31–79 in (C) | Loam | 8.1 | 19% | 44% | 0.2% |
What this means
What Wawasee soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Wawasee soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.5 (most land between 6.1 and 6.5), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 81% of mapped Wawasee acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (74% of mapped Wawasee acres).
100% of mapped Wawasee acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 56% 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 62% of the acres in mapped Wawasee soils very limited, 38% 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 Wawasee soil is found
Mapped acres
Wawasee is mapped in Michigan and Indiana.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Livingston County, MI | 59,983 | 16.6% |
| Washtenaw County, MI | 48,140 | 10.7% |
| Lapeer County, MI | 28,845 | 6.9% |
| Hillsdale County, MI | 27,411 | 7.2% |
| Kosciusko County, IN | 26,051 | 7.6% |
| LaGrange County, IN | 22,169 | 9.2% |
| Shiawassee County, MI | 21,867 | 6.4% |
| Genesee County, MI | 20,770 | 5.1% |
| Lenawee County, MI | 19,329 | 4.0% |
| Fulton County, IN | 18,369 | 7.8% |
| Ionia County, MI | 16,538 | 4.5% |
| Steuben County, IN | 9,705 | 4.9% |
| Miami County, IN | 9,601 | 4.0% |
| Macomb County, MI | 5,824 | 1.9% |
| Marshall County, IN | 5,809 | 2.1% |
| Cass County, IN | 3,062 | 1.2% |
| Ottawa County, MI | 2,048 | 0.6% |
| Jasper County, IN | 1,949 | 0.5% |
| Whitley County, IN | 517 | 0.2% |
| Starke County, IN | 401 | 0.2% |
| Oakland County, MI | 87 | 0.0% |
| Ingham County, MI | 42 | 0.0% |
| Pulaski County, IN | 40 | 0.0% |
| Clinton County, MI | 1 | 0.0% |
| Saginaw County, MI | 1 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Wawasee acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 38.2% |
| Very limited | 61.8% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Wawasee 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 3–9% (median 4%).
- 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) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 44.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 56.0% |
| 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 Wawasee (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 348,560 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Wawasee components. The profile comes from the single largest Wawasee component. Full methodology.