Soil series profile
Cid soil series
Cid is a moderately well drained soil with a channery silt loam surface, mapped on 134,571 acres in 16 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.5 very strongly acidic · range 4.5–4.5
- Mapped area
- 135k acres in 16 counties, 2 states
Typical Cid profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–9 in (Ap) | Channery silt loam | 4.5 | 18% | 29% | 1.25% |
| 9–22 in (Bt) | Silty clay loam | 4.5 | 38% | 18% | 0.25% |
| 22–27 in (BC) | Channery silty clay | 4.5 | 48% | 6% | 0.25% |
| 27–32 in (Cr) | Weathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| 32–80 in (R) | Unweathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Cid soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Cid soils is very strongly acidic: pH 4.5. 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.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Cid acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (51% of mapped Cid acres).
100% of mapped Cid acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Cid 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 Cid soil is found
Mapped acres
Cid is mapped in North Carolina and Virginia.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Union County, NC | 63,629 | 17.7% |
| Chatham County, NC | 44,671 | 12.1% |
| Halifax County, VA | 10,873 | 2.3% |
| Rowan County, NC | 3,472 | 1.1% |
| Davidson County, NC | 2,675 | 0.8% |
| Amelia County, VA | 2,102 | 1.0% |
| Person County, NC | 1,983 | 0.8% |
| Granville County, NC | 1,674 | 0.5% |
| Brunswick County, VA | 1,488 | 0.4% |
| Orange County, NC | 713 | 0.3% |
| Moore County, NC | 658 | 0.2% |
| Halifax County, NC | 357 | 0.1% |
| Durham County, NC | 196 | 0.1% |
| Vance County, NC | 46 | 0.0% |
| Gaston County, NC | 23 | 0.0% |
| Warren County, NC | 10 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Cid 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 Cid acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.0 feet (24 in) (median where reported); within 18 inches on 8% of acres.
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 3–8% (median 3%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.2%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 0.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 100.0% |
| 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 | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 100.0% |
| 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 Cid (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 134,571 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Cid components. The profile comes from the single largest Cid component. Full methodology.