Soil series profile
Aura soil series
Aura is a well drained soil with a sandy loam surface, mapped on 119,846 acres in 29 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 93% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.0 extremely acidic · range 4.0–6.3
- Mapped area
- 120k acres in 29 counties, 5 states
Typical Aura profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 in (A) | Sandy loam | 4.0 | 12% | 65% | 1.6% |
| 2–10 in (E) | Sandy loam | 5.0 | 15% | 63% | 0.1% |
| 10–23 in (Bt) | Sandy loam | 5.0 | 17% | 61% | 0.1% |
| 23–31 in (2Btx1) | Gravelly sandy loam | 5.1 | 17% | 62% | 0.1% |
| 31–45 in (2Btx2) | Gravelly sandy clay loam | 5.1 | 26% | 57% | 0.1% |
| 45–80 in (2C) | Gravelly loamy coarse sand | 5.1 | 7% | 83% | 0% |
What this means
What Aura soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Aura soils is extremely acidic: pH 4.0 (most land between 4.0 and 6.3). 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 85% of mapped Aura acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (63% of mapped Aura acres).
100% of mapped Aura 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 100% of the acres in mapped Aura 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 Aura soil is found
Mapped acres
Aura is mapped in New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and District of Columbia.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County, NJ | 34,732 | 11.2% |
| Gloucester County, NJ | 27,305 | 13.3% |
| Atlantic County, NJ | 15,832 | 3.9% |
| Salem County, NJ | 11,862 | 6.0% |
| Camden County, NJ | 9,490 | 6.5% |
| Stafford County, VA | 6,343 | 4.2% |
| Burlington County, NJ | 2,016 | 0.4% |
| Cecil County, MD | 1,976 | 1.0% |
| King George County, VA | 1,837 | 1.9% |
| Ocean County, NJ | 1,813 | 0.4% |
| Cape May County, NJ | 1,713 | 1.1% |
| Mercer County, NJ | 1,360 | 1.0% |
| Middlesex County, NJ | 986 | 0.5% |
| St. Mary's County, MD | 659 | 0.3% |
| Prince William County, VA | 447 | 0.2% |
| Monmouth County, NJ | 406 | 0.1% |
| Worcester County, MD | 248 | 0.1% |
| New Castle County, DE | 145 | 0.1% |
| Prince George's County, MD | 123 | 0.0% |
| Sussex County, DE | 118 | 0.0% |
| Baltimore County, MD | 112 | 0.0% |
| Kent County, DE | 99 | 0.0% |
| Caroline County, MD | 96 | 0.0% |
| Harford County, MD | 46 | 0.0% |
| Dorchester County, MD | 33 | 0.0% |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 22 | 0.0% |
| Howard County, MD | 17 | 0.0% |
| Montgomery County, MD | 7 | 0.0% |
| District of Columbia, DC | 6 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Aura 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 Aura 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 1–6% (median 3%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.6%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 100.0% |
| 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) | 7.2% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 92.8% |
| 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 Aura (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 119,846 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Aura components. The profile comes from the single largest Aura component. Full methodology.