Soil series profile
Bonifay soil series
Bonifay is a well drained soil with a sand surface, mapped on 535,504 acres in 46 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A >99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · range 5.3–5.5
- Mapped area
- 536k acres in 46 counties, 4 states
Typical Bonifay profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–54 in (H1) | Sand | 5.0 | 6% | 92% | 1.25% |
| 54–61 in (H2) | Sandy clay loam | 5.0 | 25% | 57% | 0.25% |
| 61–73 in (H3) | Sandy clay loam | 5.0 | 33% | 54% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Bonifay soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Bonifay soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 5.3 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 100% of mapped Bonifay 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 sand (42% of mapped Bonifay acres).
100% of mapped Bonifay acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
>99% of mapped acres is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 78% of the acres in mapped Bonifay soils very limited, 22% 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 Bonifay soil is found
Mapped acres
Bonifay is mapped in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Covington County, AL | 48,586 | 8.2% |
| Okaloosa County, FL | 39,885 | 6.7% |
| Emanuel County, GA | 38,780 | 9.9% |
| Santa Rosa County, FL | 32,346 | 4.5% |
| Escambia County, FL | 31,831 | 7.5% |
| Walton County, FL | 29,475 | 4.1% |
| Burke County, GA | 27,476 | 5.9% |
| Gadsden County, FL | 25,275 | 7.7% |
| Jackson County, FL | 21,964 | 3.7% |
| Dodge County, GA | 20,475 | 7.5% |
| Twiggs County, GA | 18,703 | 8.6% |
| Treutlen County, GA | 13,432 | 11.6% |
| Houston County, AL | 11,391 | 3.5% |
| Coffee County, GA | 11,195 | 3.0% |
| Dale County, AL | 10,620 | 3.7% |
| Washington County, FL | 10,547 | 2.8% |
| Telfair County, GA | 10,493 | 4.2% |
| Holmes County, FL | 10,180 | 3.3% |
| Madison County, FL | 9,905 | 2.2% |
| Bullock County, AL | 9,852 | 2.8% |
| Glascock County, GA | 9,214 | 11.3% |
| Pike County, AL | 9,118 | 2.4% |
| Barbour County, AL | 8,648 | 1.8% |
| Henry County, AL | 8,599 | 2.8% |
| Geneva County, AL | 8,530 | 2.6% |
| Crenshaw County, AL | 8,150 | 2.3% |
| Jenkins County, GA | 7,935 | 4.0% |
| Jefferson County, GA | 7,798 | 2.7% |
| Jefferson County, FL | 5,248 | 1.4% |
| Calhoun County, FL | 4,371 | 1.2% |
| Bay County, FL | 4,300 | 0.9% |
| Hancock County, GA | 3,930 | 1.3% |
| Brantley County, GA | 2,789 | 1.0% |
| Liberty County, FL | 2,160 | 0.4% |
| Coffee County, AL | 1,955 | 0.5% |
| Leon County, FL | 1,772 | 0.4% |
| Macon County, AL | 1,522 | 0.4% |
| Bacon County, GA | 1,465 | 0.8% |
| Atkinson County, GA | 1,460 | 0.7% |
| Bleckley County, GA | 1,305 | 1.1% |
| Allendale County, SC | 1,116 | 0.3% |
| Charlton County, GA | 613 | 0.1% |
| Ware County, GA | 578 | 0.1% |
| Lowndes County, AL | 255 | 0.1% |
| Gulf County, FL | 145 | 0.0% |
| Elmore County, AL | 118 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Bonifay acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 22.2% |
| Very limited | 77.8% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Bonifay acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 4.4 feet (53 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 3–8% (median 3%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.3%.
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) | 99.7% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.3% |
| 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 Bonifay (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 535,504 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Bonifay components. The profile comes from the single largest Bonifay component. Full methodology.