Soil series profile
Caneyville soil series
Caneyville is a well drained soil with a silty clay loam surface, mapped on 821,720 acres in 116 counties across 7 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 82% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.9 moderately acidic · range 5.3–6.0
- Mapped area
- 822k acres in 116 counties, 7 states
Typical Caneyville profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (A) | Silty clay loam | 5.9 | 29% | 19% | 3% |
| 7–31 in (Bt) | Flaggy clay | 6.5 | 51% | 10% | 0.2% |
| 31–41 in (R) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Caneyville soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Caneyville soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.9 (most land between 5.3 and 6.0). 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 90% of mapped Caneyville acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (74% of mapped Caneyville acres).
100% of mapped Caneyville acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 92% 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 92% of the acres in mapped Caneyville soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (8% 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 Caneyville soil is found
Mapped acres
Caneyville is mapped in Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia and Maryland. The 60 counties with the most Caneyville acres:
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, KY | 50,277 | 17.6% |
| Hart County, KY | 33,832 | 12.8% |
| Lawrence County, IN | 32,275 | 11.2% |
| Harrison County, IN | 29,784 | 9.6% |
| St. Francois County, MO | 29,648 | 10.3% |
| Warren County, KY | 29,086 | 8.4% |
| Hardin County, KY | 28,114 | 7.0% |
| Logan County, KY | 25,597 | 7.2% |
| Clinton County, KY | 23,307 | 18.6% |
| Jefferson County, MO | 23,053 | 5.5% |
| Christian County, KY | 21,754 | 4.7% |
| Grayson County, KY | 20,685 | 6.4% |
| Washington County, IN | 19,273 | 5.9% |
| Greenbrier County, WV | 19,248 | 3.6% |
| Monroe County, IN | 19,138 | 7.6% |
| Bullitt County, KY | 18,935 | 9.9% |
| Breckinridge County, KY | 18,167 | 5.0% |
| Green County, KY | 17,739 | 9.6% |
| Ste. Genevieve County, MO | 17,469 | 5.4% |
| Russell County, KY | 16,976 | 10.6% |
| Todd County, KY | 16,465 | 6.8% |
| Butler County, KY | 15,952 | 5.8% |
| Meade County, KY | 13,970 | 7.1% |
| Highland County, VA | 13,127 | 5.7% |
| Pulaski County, KY | 12,687 | 3.0% |
| Edmonson County, KY | 11,632 | 6.0% |
| Carter County, KY | 11,354 | 4.3% |
| Rockbridge County, VA | 11,071 | 3.5% |
| Rockcastle County, KY | 10,988 | 5.4% |
| Montgomery County, VA | 10,041 | 4.9% |
| Orange County, IN | 9,758 | 3.8% |
| Larue County, KY | 9,533 | 5.7% |
| Perry County, MO | 9,145 | 3.0% |
| Allen County, KY | 8,937 | 4.0% |
| Metcalfe County, KY | 8,871 | 4.8% |
| Clark County, IN | 8,176 | 3.4% |
| Barren County, KY | 7,751 | 2.5% |
| Casey County, KY | 7,160 | 2.5% |
| Taylor County, KY | 6,266 | 3.6% |
| Jefferson County, KY | 6,244 | 2.5% |
| Cumberland County, KY | 5,739 | 2.9% |
| White County, TN | 5,438 | 2.3% |
| Adair County, KY | 5,418 | 2.1% |
| Oldham County, KY | 5,363 | 4.4% |
| Fentress County, TN | 5,220 | 1.7% |
| Greene County, TN | 4,766 | 1.3% |
| Overton County, TN | 4,374 | 1.6% |
| Lewis County, KY | 4,043 | 1.3% |
| Ohio County, KY | 4,000 | 1.1% |
| Madison County, MO | 3,862 | 1.2% |
| Allegany County, MD | 3,790 | 1.4% |
| Jennings County, IN | 3,765 | 1.6% |
| Jefferson County, IN | 3,582 | 1.6% |
| Floyd County, IN | 3,177 | 3.3% |
| Muhlenberg County, KY | 3,079 | 1.0% |
| Rowan County, KY | 2,898 | 1.6% |
| Alleghany County, VA | 2,796 | 1.2% |
| Van Buren County, TN | 2,544 | 1.5% |
| Bath County, VA | 2,465 | 0.8% |
| Crittenden County, KY | 2,334 | 1.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Caneyville acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 92.4% |
| Not rated | 7.6% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Caneyville 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 9–40% (median 18%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 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) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 81.6% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 10.8% |
| 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 | 7.6% |
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 Caneyville (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 821,720 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Caneyville components. The profile comes from the single largest Caneyville component. Full methodology.