Soil and perc tests in Stearns County, Minnesota

What is a perc test and does Stearns County require one?

Yes. Stearns County checks the soil before it takes a permit form.

County of Stearns Subsurface Sewage Treatment System Ordinance #422 · checked 2026-09-24

How USDA rates the ground in Stearns County

Very limited across most of the county — 96.2% of the rated acres. A rating describes the ground, not a parcel. The county's site evaluation decides each lot.

• Very limited — 786,443 acres — 96.2% of 817,533 rated acres.
• Somewhat limited — 31,090 acres — 3.8% of 817,533 rated acres.
• Not rated — 72,067 acres, excluded from the denominator — mostly urban land and water.

96.2% of 817,533 rated acres. 72,067 acres unrated. Survey area MN145 version 23, established 2025-09-10.

USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO) · checked 2026-09-24

What limits absorption here

The reasons USDA gives for the rating, by the acres they affect. A component can carry several, so the acres overlap.

• Slow water movement — 518,559 acres. Reasons overlap — a component can carry several — so these acres exceed rated acres.
• Depth to saturated zone — 494,575 acres. Reasons overlap — a component can carry several — so these acres exceed rated acres.
• Seepage, bottom layer — 376,680 acres. Reasons overlap — a component can carry several — so these acres exceed rated acres.
• Filtering capacity — 197,292 acres. Reasons overlap — a component can carry several — so these acres exceed rated acres.
• Ponding — 104,045 acres. Reasons overlap — a component can carry several — so these acres exceed rated acres.
• Slope — 94,740 acres. Reasons overlap — a component can carry several — so these acres exceed rated acres.
• Subsidence — 86,396 acres. Reasons overlap — a component can carry several — so these acres exceed rated acres.
• Flooding — 14,513 acres. Reasons overlap — a component can carry several — so these acres exceed rated acres.
• Depth to bedrock — 639 acres. Reasons overlap — a component can carry several — so these acres exceed rated acres.

Ratings by soil map unit

The largest map units in the county, each with its rating. A soil survey names the ground. The county's evaluation of your lot is what a permit turns on.

• 446B — Hokans-Svea complex, 1 to 4 percent slopes — 34,457 acres in this county — rated Very limited. Dominant component: Hokans (60% of the map unit).
• W — Water — 32,700 acres in this county — rated Not rated. Dominant component: Water (100% of the map unit).
• 36 — Lakepark-Parnell, occasionally ponded, complex, 0 to 2 percent slopes — 32,090 acres in this county — rated Very limited. Dominant component: Lakepark (45% of the map unit).
• D105A — Arvilla sandy loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes — 26,109 acres in this county — rated Very limited. Dominant component: Arvilla (85% of the map unit).
• 540 — Seelyeville-Seelyeville, ponded, complex, 0 to 1 percent slopes — 25,798 acres in this county — rated Very limited. Dominant component: Seelyeville (55% of the map unit).
• 180B — Gonvick loam, 1 to 4 percent slopes — 25,754 acres in this county — rated Very limited. Dominant component: Gonvick (90% of the map unit).
• 204B — Cushing sandy loam, 2 to 8 percent slopes — 24,876 acres in this county — rated Very limited. Dominant component: Cushing (90% of the map unit).
• 446A — Normania loam, 1 to 3 percent slopes — 24,173 acres in this county — rated Very limited. Dominant component: Normania (90% of the map unit).

USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO) · checked 2026-09-24

Sources

Each figure on this page has a government source and a checked-on date.

1. Getting To Know Your Septic System For Residents of Stearns County · checked 2026-09-24
2. Stearns County Environmental Services · checked 2026-09-24
3. County of Stearns Subsurface Sewage Treatment System Ordinance #422 · checked 2026-09-24
4. Stearns County 2025 Services and Fees · checked 2026-09-24
5. Crow Wing County Land Use Ordinance, Article 37.26(D)(4) · checked 2026-09-23
6. USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO) · checked 2026-09-24

Related pages

• Septic rules and requirements in Stearns County, Minnesota
• Septic permits and fees in Stearns County, Minnesota
• Home-sale septic inspections in Stearns County, Minnesota
• Septic rules and requirements in Minnesota
• Septic rules in Stearns County