Soil series profile
Yawdim soil series
Yawdim is a well drained soil with a silty clay loam surface, mapped on 921,421 acres in 41 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.2 neutral · range 7.2–7.2
- Mapped area
- 921k acres in 41 counties, 4 states
Typical Yawdim profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–3 in (A) | Silty clay loam | 7.2 | 34% | 19% | 0.75% |
| 3–18 in (C) | Silty clay loam | 7.9 | 39% | 18% | 0.25% |
| 18–60 in (Cr) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Yawdim soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Yawdim soils is neutral: pH 7.2, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 87% of mapped Yawdim acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silty clay loam (73% of mapped Yawdim acres).
100% of mapped Yawdim 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 Yawdim 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 Yawdim soil is found
Mapped acres
Yawdim is mapped in Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wyoming.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Custer County, MT | 139,171 | 5.6% |
| Garfield County, MT | 96,849 | 3.4% |
| Rosebud County, MT | 80,231 | 1.7% |
| Big Horn County, MT | 69,388 | 1.6% |
| Stillwater County, MT | 66,691 | 5.9% |
| Carter County, MT | 51,472 | 2.7% |
| Petroleum County, MT | 44,026 | 4.2% |
| Golden Valley County, MT | 43,924 | 6.0% |
| McCone County, MT | 42,807 | 2.5% |
| Musselshell County, MT | 33,730 | 2.9% |
| Fergus County, MT | 33,529 | 1.2% |
| Prairie County, MT | 32,679 | 2.9% |
| Cascade County, MT | 29,252 | 1.9% |
| Phillips County, MT | 28,109 | 0.8% |
| Sweet Grass County, MT | 25,721 | 2.0% |
| Chouteau County, MT | 19,265 | 0.8% |
| Wheatland County, MT | 15,708 | 1.9% |
| Fallon County, MT | 15,136 | 1.5% |
| Teton County, MT | 14,524 | 1.1% |
| Yellowstone County, MT | 6,541 | 0.4% |
| Meade County, SD | 5,995 | 0.3% |
| Dawson County, MT | 4,948 | 0.3% |
| Liberty County, MT | 4,630 | 0.5% |
| Valley County, MT | 4,469 | 0.1% |
| Bowman County, ND | 2,936 | 0.4% |
| Campbell County, WY | 2,047 | 0.1% |
| Richland County, MT | 1,869 | 0.1% |
| Pondera County, MT | 1,751 | 0.2% |
| Hill County, MT | 1,312 | 0.1% |
| Blaine County, MT | 1,108 | 0.0% |
| Park County, MT | 852 | 0.0% |
| Treasure County, MT | 508 | 0.1% |
| Toole County, MT | 80 | 0.0% |
| Powder River County, MT | 38 | 0.0% |
| Slope County, ND | 32 | 0.0% |
| Roosevelt County, MT | 29 | 0.0% |
| Wibaux County, MT | 27 | 0.0% |
| Meagher County, MT | 17 | 0.0% |
| Dunn County, ND | 9 | 0.0% |
| Golden Valley County, ND | 5 | 0.0% |
| Crook County, WY | 5 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Yawdim 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 Yawdim 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 10–48% (median 21%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 0.8%.
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 | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 100.0% |
| 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 Yawdim (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 921,421 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Yawdim components. The profile comes from the single largest Yawdim component. Full methodology.