Soil series profile
Harpeth soil series
Harpeth is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 81,338 acres in 5 counties in TN. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.6 moderately acidic · range 5.6–5.6
- Mapped area
- 81k acres in 5 counties, 1 state
Typical Harpeth profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (H1) | Silt loam | 5.6 | 22% | 11% | 2.5% |
| 7–35 in (H2) | Silt loam | 5.8 | 24% | 7% | 0.5% |
| 35–60 in (H3) | Clay loam | 5.8 | 33% | 26% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Harpeth soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Harpeth soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.6. 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 100% of mapped Harpeth acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (100% of mapped Harpeth acres).
100% of mapped Harpeth acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 0% of the acres in mapped Harpeth soils very limited, 100% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Harpeth soil is found
Mapped acres
Harpeth is mapped in Tennessee.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Sumner County, TN | 40,141 | 11.9% |
| Rutherford County, TN | 19,186 | 4.9% |
| Bedford County, TN | 11,013 | 3.6% |
| Marshall County, TN | 6,312 | 2.6% |
| Trousdale County, TN | 4,686 | 6.5% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Harpeth acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 100.0% |
| Very limited | 0.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Harpeth 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 2.5%.
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 | 100.0% |
| 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 Harpeth (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 81,338 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Harpeth components. The profile comes from the single largest Harpeth component. Full methodology.