Soil series profile
Wilderness soil series
Wilderness is a moderately well drained soil with a gravelly silt loam surface, mapped on 454,496 acres in 42 counties in MO. Hydrologic group C/D.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C/D 93% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.6 moderately acidic · range 5.6–5.6
- Mapped area
- 454k acres in 42 counties, 1 state
Typical Wilderness profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (A) | Gravelly silt loam | 5.6 | 8% | 16% | 3.3% |
| 6–11 in (E) | Gravelly silt loam | 6.1 | 9% | 16% | 1.2% |
| 11–25 in (Bt1) | Extremely gravelly silt loam | 5.7 | 25% | 15% | 0.9% |
| 25–32 in (2Btx) | Very gravelly silt loam | 5.3 | 23% | 22% | 0.3% |
| 32–79 in (3Bt2) | Gravelly clay | 5.4 | 64% | 19% | 0.3% |
What this means
What Wilderness soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Wilderness soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.6. 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 100% of mapped Wilderness acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is gravelly silt loam (93% of mapped Wilderness acres).
100% of mapped Wilderness 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.
A seasonal high water table comes within 18 inches of the surface on 86% of mapped acres, often in spring. Basements, sump pumps and lawns in low spots feel it first.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 100% of the acres in mapped Wilderness 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 Wilderness soil is found
Mapped acres
Wilderness is mapped in Missouri.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Laclede County, MO | 96,063 | 19.6% |
| Wright County, MO | 74,568 | 17.1% |
| Greene County, MO | 54,289 | 12.6% |
| Lawrence County, MO | 52,744 | 13.4% |
| Iron County, MO | 35,530 | 10.1% |
| Dallas County, MO | 29,508 | 8.5% |
| Christian County, MO | 20,915 | 5.8% |
| Webster County, MO | 18,611 | 4.9% |
| Carter County, MO | 13,423 | 4.1% |
| Ripley County, MO | 10,237 | 2.6% |
| Phelps County, MO | 7,333 | 1.7% |
| Ste. Genevieve County, MO | 6,992 | 2.2% |
| St. Francois County, MO | 6,869 | 2.4% |
| Bollinger County, MO | 4,917 | 1.2% |
| Dade County, MO | 3,314 | 1.1% |
| Pulaski County, MO | 3,107 | 0.9% |
| Shannon County, MO | 2,801 | 0.4% |
| Polk County, MO | 2,030 | 0.5% |
| Gasconade County, MO | 1,982 | 0.6% |
| Butler County, MO | 1,366 | 0.3% |
| Oregon County, MO | 1,285 | 0.3% |
| Camden County, MO | 1,095 | 0.3% |
| Washington County, MO | 916 | 0.2% |
| Crawford County, MO | 850 | 0.2% |
| Maries County, MO | 834 | 0.2% |
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 689 | 0.2% |
| Perry County, MO | 543 | 0.2% |
| Stone County, MO | 514 | 0.2% |
| Miller County, MO | 490 | 0.1% |
| McDonald County, MO | 237 | 0.1% |
| Osage County, MO | 137 | 0.0% |
| Wayne County, MO | 125 | 0.0% |
| Madison County, MO | 47 | 0.0% |
| Cole County, MO | 38 | 0.0% |
| Hickory County, MO | 38 | 0.0% |
| Barry County, MO | 26 | 0.0% |
| Franklin County, MO | 12 | 0.0% |
| Dent County, MO | 10 | 0.0% |
| Newton County, MO | 4 | 0.0% |
| Moniteau County, MO | 4 | 0.0% |
| Stoddard County, MO | 2 | 0.0% |
| Cedar County, MO | 1 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Wilderness 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 Wilderness acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 1.3 feet (16 in) (median where reported); within 18 inches on 86% of acres.
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 6–12% (median 6%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 3.3%.
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 | 0.4% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 7.0% |
| 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 | 92.7% |
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 Wilderness (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 454,496 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Wilderness components. The profile comes from the single largest Wilderness component. Full methodology.