Soil series profile
Bristol soil series
Bristol is a excessively drained soil with a loamy sand surface, mapped on 31,436 acres in 4 counties in IN. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Excessively drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.2 slightly acidic · range 6.2–6.2
- Mapped area
- 31k acres in 4 counties, 1 state
Typical Bristol profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–10 in (Ap) | Loamy sand | 6.2 | 3% | 76% | 1% |
| 10–21 in (E) | Loamy sand | 6.2 | 6% | 77% | 0.25% |
| 21–35 in (Bt1) | Loamy coarse sand | 6.2 | 11% | 84% | 0.25% |
| 35–55 in (Bt2) | Sand | 6.2 | 5% | 91% | 0.25% |
| 55–80 in (Bt/C) | Sand | 7.9 | 2% | 94% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Bristol soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Bristol soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.2, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Sandy topsoil covers 100% of mapped Bristol 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 (100% of mapped Bristol acres).
100% of mapped Bristol acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.
For lawns and yards
100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Bristol 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 Bristol soil is found
Mapped acres
Bristol is mapped in Indiana.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Elkhart County, IN | 28,418 | 9.6% |
| St. Joseph County, IN | 1,849 | 0.6% |
| Marshall County, IN | 742 | 0.3% |
| LaPorte County, IN | 428 | 0.1% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Bristol 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 Bristol 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 1–8% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 100.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 0.0% |
| 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) | 100.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| 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 Bristol (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 31,436 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Bristol components. The profile comes from the single largest Bristol component. Full methodology.