Soil series profile
Zimmerman soil series
Zimmerman is a somewhat excessively drained soil with a fine sand surface, mapped on 402,543 acres in 28 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Somewhat excessively drained 80% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.0 moderately acidic · range 5.5–6.0
- Mapped area
- 403k acres in 28 counties, 2 states
Typical Zimmerman profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–8 in (Ap) | Fine sand | 6.0 | 3% | 92% | 1% |
| 8–22 in (Bw) | Fine sand | 6.3 | 2% | 94% | 0.75% |
| 22–45 in (E) | Fine sand | 5.8 | 2% | 93% | 0.5% |
| 45–46 in (Bt) | Loamy fine sand | 6.5 | 3% | 85% | 0.1% |
| 46–80 in (E and Bt) | Fine sand | 6.5 | 1% | 96% | 0.1% |
What this means
What Zimmerman soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Zimmerman soils is moderately acidic: pH 6.0 (most land between 5.5 and 6.0). Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Sandy topsoil covers 100% of mapped Zimmerman 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 fine sand (58% of mapped Zimmerman acres).
100% of mapped Zimmerman acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.
For lawns and yards
100% 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 Zimmerman 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 Zimmerman soil is found
Mapped acres
Zimmerman is mapped in Minnesota and Michigan.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Isanti County, MN | 62,747 | 22.4% |
| Sherburne County, MN | 58,801 | 21.1% |
| Anoka County, MN | 52,868 | 19.4% |
| Itasca County, MN | 42,101 | 2.5% |
| Crow Wing County, MN | 39,399 | 6.2% |
| Cass County, MN | 37,162 | 2.9% |
| Beltrami County, MN | 19,422 | 1.2% |
| Dickinson County, MI | 18,956 | 3.5% |
| Chisago County, MN | 18,694 | 7.0% |
| Alcona County, MI | 9,180 | 2.1% |
| Ramsey County, MN | 6,864 | 7.0% |
| Mille Lacs County, MN | 6,830 | 1.9% |
| Morrison County, MN | 5,101 | 0.7% |
| Washington County, MN | 4,950 | 2.0% |
| Roseau County, MN | 4,941 | 0.5% |
| Benton County, MN | 4,431 | 1.7% |
| Cheboygan County, MI | 2,429 | 0.5% |
| Alpena County, MI | 1,647 | 0.5% |
| Hubbard County, MN | 1,377 | 0.2% |
| Clearwater County, MN | 1,051 | 0.2% |
| Todd County, MN | 1,012 | 0.2% |
| Presque Isle County, MI | 820 | 0.2% |
| Hennepin County, MN | 567 | 0.2% |
| Lake of the Woods County, MN | 536 | 0.1% |
| Koochiching County, MN | 339 | 0.0% |
| Wright County, MN | 310 | 0.1% |
| Iosco County, MI | 10 | 0.0% |
| Oscoda County, MI | 0 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Zimmerman 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 Zimmerman 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 2–10% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 20.5% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 79.5% |
| Well drained | 0.0% |
| 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) | 100.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| 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 Zimmerman (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 402,543 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Zimmerman components. The profile comes from the single largest Zimmerman component. Full methodology.