Soil series profile

Ailey soil series

Ailey is a well drained soil with a sand surface, mapped on 678,008 acres in 64 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group B.

#357 by mapped area loamy Arenic Kanhapludults (Ultisols)

Drainage class: Well drained
Hydrologic group: B
Typical topsoil pH: 5.5
Mapped area: 678k

Typical Ailey profile

Texture and pH by depth

Depth to scale. More strongly shaded layers hold more clay. Horizon names are the soil survey's (A = topsoil, B = subsoil, C = parent material).

Show as a table

Typical Ailey horizons (representative values)
Depth	Texture	pH	Clay	Sand	Organic matter
0–3 in (A)	Sand	5.5	6%	93%	0.75%
3–28 in (E)	Sand	5.5	6%	93%	0.25%
28–35 in (BE)	Sandy loam	5.0	14%	67%	0.1%
35–43 in (Bt)	Sandy clay loam	5.0	25%	57%	0.1%
43–53 in (Btx)	Sandy clay loam	5.0	25%	57%	0.1%
53–62 in (2C)	Sandy loam	5.0	17%	65%	0.1%
62–72 in (2Cd)	Sandy loam	5.0	17%	65%	0.1%

Representative values from the most extensive Ailey map unit (Ailey sand, moderately wet, 2 to 6 percent slopes, survey area SC025). Other map units of this series vary within the series range.

Stock photo for illustration, not a sample of this soil series. Credit on the Sources & method page.

What this means

What Ailey soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems

For gardens

Typical topsoil in Ailey soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.5 (most land between 5.0 and 5.5). 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.

Sandy topsoil covers >99% of mapped Ailey 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 loamy sand (58% of mapped Ailey acres).

>99% of mapped Ailey acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.

For lawns and yards

Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.

For a septic system

For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 85% of the acres in mapped Ailey soils very limited, 14% somewhat limited and 1% 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.

Generated from the mapped numbers above using fixed rules, not a site visit. See how these notes are written.

Where Ailey soil is found

Mapped acres

Ailey is mapped in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida. The 60 counties with the most Ailey acres:

Counties with the most mapped Ailey soil
County	Acres	Share of county land
Chesterfield County, SC	80,844	16.9%
Richmond County, NC	66,466	23.9%
Moore County, NC	54,193	13.4%
Aiken County, SC	38,421	5.6%
Calhoun County, SC	28,246	12.2%
Marion County, GA	25,755	11.1%
Orangeburg County, SC	20,178	2.9%
Dodge County, GA	15,737	5.7%
Emanuel County, GA	15,717	4.0%
Wilkinson County, GA	15,632	6.2%
Laurens County, GA	15,240	3.4%
Montgomery County, NC	14,953	5.1%
Washington County, GA	14,814	3.9%
Richland County, SC	14,667	3.1%
Wilcox County, GA	14,345	6.7%
Baldwin County, GA	13,418	8.2%
Richmond County, GA	13,354	6.5%
Marlboro County, SC	12,313	4.2%
Chattahoochee County, GA	11,331	8.6%
Toombs County, GA	11,220	5.3%
Twiggs County, GA	11,058	5.1%
Anson County, NC	9,995	3.3%
Lee County, SC	9,202	3.5%
Randolph County, GA	8,989	3.9%
Talbot County, GA	8,699	3.5%
Jones County, GA	8,312	3.3%
Glascock County, GA	7,923	9.7%
Stewart County, GA	7,870	3.1%
Darlington County, SC	7,724	2.3%
Scotland County, NC	7,719	4.1%
Montgomery County, GA	7,690	5.5%
Muscogee County, GA	7,515	5.6%
Hancock County, GA	6,689	2.2%
Wheeler County, GA	5,690	3.3%
Sumter County, SC	5,595	1.3%
Allendale County, SC	5,523	1.5%
Barnwell County, SC	5,304	2.5%
Bibb County, GA	5,070	3.2%
Taylor County, GA	4,850	2.0%
Johnson County, GA	4,747	2.9%
Clay County, GA	4,603	4.3%
Coffee County, GA	4,124	1.1%
Telfair County, GA	3,968	1.6%
Pulaski County, GA	2,990	2.2%
Quitman County, GA	2,906	3.4%
Kershaw County, SC	2,320	0.5%
Atkinson County, GA	2,222	1.0%
Bacon County, GA	1,893	1.0%
Jefferson County, GA	1,408	0.5%
Crawford County, GA	1,400	0.7%
Bleckley County, GA	1,352	1.1%
Union County, NC	1,348	0.4%
Walton County, FL	1,025	0.1%
Santa Rosa County, FL	728	0.1%
Harnett County, NC	688	0.2%
Edgefield County, SC	587	0.2%
Treutlen County, GA	544	0.5%
Bamberg County, SC	405	0.2%
Lee County, NC	171	0.1%
Liberty County, FL	139	0.0%

Septic absorption fields

NRCS rating, share of Ailey acres

Not limited 1%

Somewhat limited 14%

Very limited 85%

Not rated <1%

Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Ailey acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

Show as a table

Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Ailey acres.
Category	Share of acres
Not limited	1.2%
Somewhat limited	13.6%
Very limited	84.7%
Not rated	0.4%

Drainage, water table and flooding

Share of Ailey acres

Depth to seasonal high water table: About 3.9 feet (47 in) (median where reported).
Flooding: Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
Slope: Typically 4–13% (median 6%).
Topsoil organic matter: Median 0.8%.

Drainage class

Excessively drained 0%

Somewhat excessively drained 0%

Well drained >99%

Moderately well drained 0%

Somewhat poorly drained 0%

Poorly drained 0%

Very poorly drained 0%

Not rated <1%

Drainage class across mapped Ailey acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

Show as a table

Drainage class across mapped Ailey acres.
Category	Share of acres
Excessively drained	0.0%
Somewhat excessively drained	0.0%
Well drained	99.6%
Moderately well drained	0.0%
Somewhat poorly drained	0.0%
Poorly drained	0.0%
Very poorly drained	0.0%
Not rated	0.4%

Hydrologic soil group

A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) 4%

B: moderate infiltration 51%

C: slow infiltration 45%

D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) 0%

A/D: D as is, A if drained 0%

B/D: D as is, B if drained 0%

C/D: D as is, C if drained 0%

Not rated <1%

Hydrologic soil group across mapped Ailey acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

Show as a table

Hydrologic soil group across mapped Ailey acres.
Category	Share of acres
A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly)	3.8%
B: moderate infiltration	50.6%
C: slow infiltration	45.2%
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%
Not rated	0.4%

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 Ailey (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 678,008 acres.
Method: Shares are by mapped acres of Ailey components. The profile comes from the single largest Ailey component. Full methodology.

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.

Full narrative description: USDA Official Soil Series Description for Ailey.