Soil series profile
Cuthbert soil series
Cuthbert is a well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 1,042,835 acres in 36 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 95% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.5 strongly acidic · range 5.0–5.5
- Mapped area
- 1.0M acres in 36 counties, 4 states
Typical Cuthbert profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 in (A) | Fine sandy loam | 5.5 | 9% | 70% | 1.25% |
| 4–9 in (E) | Fine sandy loam | 5.5 | 9% | 70% | 0.75% |
| 9–22 in (Bt) | Clay | 4.6 | 48% | 23% | 0.55% |
| 22–32 in (B/C) | Clay loam | 4.6 | 35% | 33% | 0.3% |
| 32–80 in (C) | Sandy clay loam | 4.3 | 28% | 55% | 0.3% |
What this means
What Cuthbert soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Cuthbert soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.5 (most land between 5.0 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.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 95% of mapped Cuthbert acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (77% of mapped Cuthbert acres).
100% of mapped Cuthbert acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 95% 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 95% of the acres in mapped Cuthbert soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (5% 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 Cuthbert soil is found
Mapped acres
Cuthbert is mapped in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Cass County, TX | 95,064 | 16.2% |
| Smith County, TX | 94,725 | 16.0% |
| Upshur County, TX | 73,367 | 19.5% |
| Rusk County, TX | 61,866 | 10.5% |
| Harrison County, TX | 57,881 | 10.1% |
| Calhoun County, MS | 49,971 | 13.7% |
| Nacogdoches County, TX | 49,339 | 8.1% |
| Henderson County, TX | 47,832 | 8.6% |
| Wood County, TX | 46,870 | 11.3% |
| Baldwin County, AL | 45,200 | 4.7% |
| Leon County, TX | 42,540 | 6.2% |
| Marion County, TX | 34,352 | 13.9% |
| Houston County, TX | 31,623 | 4.0% |
| Gregg County, TX | 31,614 | 18.2% |
| Freestone County, TX | 28,078 | 5.0% |
| San Augustine County, TX | 25,200 | 7.5% |
| Camp County, TX | 22,540 | 17.7% |
| Cherokee County, TX | 22,013 | 3.3% |
| Dale County, AL | 20,116 | 7.0% |
| Morris County, TX | 19,771 | 12.1% |
| Van Zandt County, TX | 19,684 | 3.6% |
| Sabine County, TX | 16,957 | 5.4% |
| Shelby County, TX | 13,069 | 2.6% |
| Grenada County, MS | 13,040 | 5.3% |
| Montgomery County, AL | 11,277 | 2.6% |
| Monroe County, MS | 11,035 | 2.3% |
| Angelina County, TX | 8,965 | 1.7% |
| Fayette County, AL | 8,878 | 2.5% |
| Franklin County, AL | 8,669 | 2.5% |
| Tippah County, MS | 8,592 | 3.1% |
| Anderson County, TX | 6,626 | 1.0% |
| Franklin County, TX | 5,243 | 2.9% |
| Titus County, TX | 4,526 | 1.7% |
| Panola County, TX | 2,478 | 0.5% |
| Clark County, AR | 2,236 | 0.4% |
| Panola County, MS | 1,598 | 0.4% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Cuthbert acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 95.3% |
| Not rated | 4.7% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Cuthbert 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 10–21% (median 13%).
- 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 | 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 | 95.3% |
| 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% |
| Not rated | 4.7% |
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 Cuthbert (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 1,042,835 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Cuthbert components. The profile comes from the single largest Cuthbert component. Full methodology.