County soil summary
Soil types in DeSoto County, Mississippi
The most widespread soils are Loring, Collins and Falaya; the most common drainage class is moderately well drained (48% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 5.3.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 61% of land · state 62%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · state 5.0
- Septic fields very limited
- 91% of land · state 92%
- Subject to flooding
- 41% of land, any frequency · state 36%
Most common soils in DeSoto County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 84% of the mapped land; 33 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loring | 18.5% | Moderately well drained | 5.3 |
| Collins | 17.7% | Moderately well drained | 5.0 |
| Gullied landLand type, not a soil series | 17.6% | — | — |
| Falaya | 10.4% | Somewhat poorly drained | 5.0 |
| Grenada | 7.6% | Moderately well drained | 5.3 |
| Memphis | 6.8% | Well drained | 5.3 |
| Dundee | 3.2% | Somewhat poorly drained | 5.5 |
| Richland | 2.4% | Well drained | 6.2 |
What this means
What the soils in DeSoto County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in DeSoto County is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 5.0 and 6.7). 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 (68% of the land).
61% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
On 65% 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 91% of the land in DeSoto County very limited, 8% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (1% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
That is close to the state as a whole (92% very 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.
Flooding is mapped on 41% of the land (31% occasional, 3% 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 moderately well drained (48%). 61% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 62% across Mississippi.
Show as a table
| Category | DeSoto County | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.1% | 0.7% |
| Well drained | 11.7% | 34.8% |
| Moderately well drained | 48.3% | 25.8% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 15.1% | 17.0% |
| Poorly drained | 4.3% | 15.5% |
| Very poorly drained | 1.3% | 2.8% |
| Not rated | 18.8% | 2.6% |
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 | DeSoto County | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Somewhat limited | 8.2% | 7.3% |
| Very limited | 90.6% | 91.6% |
| Not rated | 1.2% | 0.7% |
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 | DeSoto County | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.5% | 2.6% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 15.4% | 27.8% |
| C: slow infiltration | 40.8% | 21.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 6.4% | 22.5% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 10.6% | 8.7% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 7.6% | 14.1% |
| Not rated | 18.8% | 2.9% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | DeSoto County | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 57.5% | 63.1% |
| Rare or very rare | 7.5% | 9.8% |
| Occasional | 30.8% | 14.7% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 3.0% | 11.8% |
| Not reported | 1.2% | 0.6% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | DeSoto County | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 18.1% | 32.4% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 46.4% | 24.8% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 34.3% | 42.6% |
| Not reported | 1.2% | 0.2% |
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 6.7. Median topsoil organic matter is 1.2%.
Show as a table
| Category | DeSoto County | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 78.1% | 77.9% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 3.9% | 10.3% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 16.8% | 9.5% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| Not reported | 1.2% | 1.3% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | DeSoto County | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 0.4% | 3.2% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 94.6% | 85.2% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 3.8% | 10.4% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 1.2% | 0.7% |
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
- DeSoto County, Mississippi (FIPS 28033): 297,098 acres of mapped land, 17,082 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in Mississippi.
- 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.