Soil series profile
Beasley soil series
Beasley is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 178,953 acres in 29 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 91% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.9 moderately acidic · range 5.5–6.7
- Mapped area
- 179k acres in 29 counties, 4 states
Typical Beasley profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 in (H1) | Silt loam | 5.5 | 19% | 27% | 2.25% |
| 5–34 in (H2) | Silty clay | 5.5 | 50% | 5% | 0.25% |
| 34–50 in (H3) | Silty clay | 7.8 | 50% | 5% | 0.25% |
| 50–60 in (Cr) | Weathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Beasley soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Beasley soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.9 (most land between 5.5 and 6.7). Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 88% of mapped Beasley acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (63% of mapped Beasley acres).
100% of mapped Beasley acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 91% of mapped acres, 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 acres in mapped Beasley soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (9% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
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 Beasley soil is found
Mapped acres
Beasley is mapped in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Oldham County, KY | 36,436 | 29.9% |
| Fleming County, KY | 23,180 | 10.3% |
| Lewis County, KY | 15,740 | 5.1% |
| Madison County, KY | 12,811 | 4.6% |
| Jefferson County, KY | 12,185 | 5.0% |
| Bullitt County, KY | 11,123 | 5.8% |
| Nelson County, KY | 10,822 | 4.0% |
| Bath County, KY | 9,252 | 5.2% |
| Marion County, KY | 6,235 | 2.8% |
| Lincoln County, KY | 5,385 | 2.5% |
| Montgomery County, KY | 4,793 | 3.8% |
| Mason County, KY | 4,320 | 2.8% |
| Clark County, KY | 3,915 | 2.4% |
| Spencer County, KY | 3,835 | 3.2% |
| Jefferson County, IN | 3,369 | 1.5% |
| Shelby County, KY | 3,261 | 1.3% |
| Garrard County, KY | 3,246 | 2.2% |
| Estill County, KY | 2,735 | 1.7% |
| Pope County, IL | 2,693 | 1.2% |
| Hardin County, IL | 1,151 | 1.1% |
| Highland County, OH | 919 | 0.3% |
| Henry County, KY | 808 | 0.4% |
| Washington County, KY | 572 | 0.3% |
| Trimble County, KY | 62 | 0.1% |
| Massac County, IL | 46 | 0.0% |
| Boyle County, KY | 32 | 0.0% |
| Lee County, KY | 16 | 0.0% |
| Warren County, OH | 7 | 0.0% |
| Johnson County, IL | 4 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Beasley acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 91.0% |
| Not rated | 9.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Beasley acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.0 feet (24 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 4–21% (median 9%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2.2%.
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) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 91.0% |
| 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% |
| Not rated | 9.0% |
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 Beasley (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 178,953 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Beasley components. The profile comes from the single largest Beasley component. Full methodology.