Soil series profile
Boswell soil series
Boswell is a moderately well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 194,500 acres in 31 counties across 6 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 95% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 94% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.0 very strongly acidic · range 5.0–5.0
- Mapped area
- 195k acres in 31 counties, 6 states
Typical Boswell profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 in (Ap) | Fine sandy loam | 5.0 | 16% | 64% | 3% |
| 5–9 in (E) | Loam | 5.0 | 18% | 44% | 1% |
| 9–27 in (Bt) | Clay | 5.0 | 45% | 30% | 1% |
| 27–85 in (Btss) | Clay | 5.0 | 50% | 30% | 1% |
What this means
What Boswell soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Boswell soils is very strongly acidic: pH 5.0. 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 96% of mapped Boswell acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (46% of mapped Boswell acres).
100% of mapped Boswell acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On >99% 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 >99% of the acres in mapped Boswell 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 Boswell soil is found
Mapped acres
Boswell is mapped in Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia and Tennessee.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County, AL | 42,209 | 9.6% |
| Wayne County, MS | 18,658 | 3.8% |
| Cleveland County, AR | 17,634 | 4.6% |
| Jasper County, MS | 13,809 | 3.4% |
| Chilton County, AL | 12,423 | 3.2% |
| Smith County, MS | 9,688 | 2.4% |
| Lincoln County, MS | 9,119 | 2.5% |
| Bradley County, AR | 8,293 | 2.0% |
| Covington County, MS | 7,098 | 2.8% |
| Dale County, AL | 6,891 | 2.4% |
| Red River Parish, LA | 6,492 | 2.7% |
| Clarke County, MS | 5,708 | 1.3% |
| Tuscaloosa County, AL | 5,309 | 0.7% |
| Houston County, GA | 5,204 | 2.2% |
| Grenada County, MS | 4,156 | 1.7% |
| Greene County, AL | 3,986 | 1.2% |
| Elmore County, AL | 3,604 | 1.0% |
| Pontotoc County, MS | 2,654 | 0.9% |
| Oktibbeha County, MS | 1,755 | 0.6% |
| Hardin County, TN | 1,697 | 0.5% |
| Fayette County, AL | 1,587 | 0.5% |
| Newton County, MS | 1,335 | 0.4% |
| Choctaw County, AL | 1,312 | 0.3% |
| Scott County, MS | 1,217 | 0.3% |
| Lamar County, AL | 849 | 0.2% |
| Jones County, MS | 681 | 0.2% |
| Walthall County, MS | 398 | 0.2% |
| Washington County, AL | 298 | 0.0% |
| Noxubee County, MS | 211 | 0.0% |
| Bibb County, AL | 207 | 0.1% |
| Greene County, MS | 17 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Boswell acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 99.6% |
| Not rated | 0.4% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Boswell acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.9 feet (35 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 4–15% (median 7%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 5.1% |
| Moderately well drained | 94.9% |
| 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 | 5.5% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 94.0% |
| 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 Boswell (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 194,500 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Boswell components. The profile comes from the single largest Boswell component. Full methodology.