County soil summary
Soil types in Faulkner County, Arkansas
The most widespread soils are Mountainburg, Linker and Leadvale; the most common drainage class is well drained (59% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 5.3.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 78% of land · state 62%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · state 5.3
- Septic fields very limited
- 95% of land · state 86%
- Subject to flooding
- 7% of land, any frequency · state 17%
Most common soils in Faulkner County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 92% of the mapped land; 26 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountainburg | 23.7% | Well drained | 5.3 |
| Linker | 22.6% | Well drained | 5.6 |
| Leadvale | 18.8% | Moderately well drained | 5.0 |
| Taft | 11.8% | Somewhat poorly drained | 5.3 |
| Enders | 8.4% | Well drained | 5.0 |
| Perry | 2.3% | Poorly drained | 5.3 |
| Guthrie | 2.2% | Poorly drained | 5.3 |
| Amy | 2.0% | Poorly drained | 5.3 |
What this means
What the soils in Faulkner County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Faulkner County is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 5.0 and 5.6). Most vegetables and lawn grasses do best around 6.0 to 7.0, so lime is often needed; blueberries, azaleas and rhododendrons like it as it is.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 95% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (37% of the land).
78% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
On 95% of the land, 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 95% of the land in Faulkner County very limited, 3% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (2% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 86% of the land is very limited, so Faulkner County is more restrictive than typical.
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.
Flooding is mapped on 7% of the land (4% occasional, 2% frequent).
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Drainage
How long the soil stays wet
The most common drainage class is well drained (59%). 78% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 62% across Arkansas.
Show as a table
| Category | Faulkner County | Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% | 2.8% |
| Well drained | 58.5% | 41.3% |
| Moderately well drained | 19.5% | 16.8% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 13.1% | 11.0% |
| Poorly drained | 7.8% | 21.8% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Not rated | 0.6% | 5.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating for conventional drain fields
The rating looks at the soil from 24 to 60 inches deep: permeability, depth to a seasonal water table or bedrock, flooding and slope. “Very limited” means at least one feature is unfavorable enough that a conventional field is hard to make work.
Show as a table
| Category | Faulkner County | Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 2.6% | 6.0% |
| Very limited | 95.3% | 86.3% |
| Not rated | 2.1% | 7.8% |
Rain, runoff and water table
Hydrologic soil group, flooding, seasonal water table
Hydrologic soil group
How fast rain soaks in when the soil is already wet. Group A soaks in fastest, D slowest.
Show as a table
| Category | Faulkner County | Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.1% | 2.6% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 3.4% | 15.3% |
| C: slow infiltration | 26.7% | 23.1% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 37.2% | 34.4% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% | 2.2% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 31.5% | 16.0% |
| Not rated | 1.2% | 6.4% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Faulkner County | Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 52.4% | 73.5% |
| Rare or very rare | 0.9% | 4.1% |
| Occasional | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 2.3% | 8.9% |
| Not reported | 40.2% | 9.2% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Faulkner County | Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 19.9% | 30.2% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 19.0% | 17.8% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 23.0% | 46.8% |
| Not reported | 38.2% | 5.2% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 5.3 (strongly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 5.0 and 5.6. Median topsoil organic matter is 1.8%.
Show as a table
| Category | Faulkner County | Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 69.8% | 53.7% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 25.5% | 28.8% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 2.6% | 9.2% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Not reported | 2.1% | 7.8% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Faulkner County | Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 0.0% | 3.3% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 94.5% | 80.2% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 3.4% | 8.7% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 2.1% | 7.8% |
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
- Faulkner County, Arkansas (FIPS 05045): 412,088 acres of mapped land, 13,084 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in Arkansas.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped land area: each map unit’s acres in the county times each soil component’s percentage. Open water is excluded. Topsoil values use the first mineral horizon of each component. Full methodology.