Soil series profile
Kirvin soil series
Kirvin is a well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 747,855 acres in 54 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 85% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.2 slightly acidic · range 5.3–6.2
- Mapped area
- 748k acres in 54 counties, 4 states
Typical Kirvin profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (H1) | Fine sandy loam | 6.2 | 9% | 65% | 1.25% |
| 7–40 in (H2) | Clay | 4.6 | 48% | 23% | 0.55% |
| 40–50 in (H3) | Clay loam | 4.3 | 38% | 32% | 0.55% |
| 50–60 in (H4) | Clay loam | 4.3 | 33% | 35% | 0.55% |
What this means
What Kirvin soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Kirvin soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.2 (most land between 5.3 and 6.2), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 84% of mapped Kirvin acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (49% of mapped Kirvin acres).
>99% of mapped Kirvin acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 85% 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 84% of the acres in mapped Kirvin soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (16% 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 Kirvin soil is found
Mapped acres
Kirvin is mapped in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Ouachita County, AR | 82,066 | 17.6% |
| Anderson County, TX | 73,363 | 10.7% |
| Rusk County, TX | 52,910 | 9.0% |
| Cass County, TX | 45,894 | 7.8% |
| Nacogdoches County, TX | 43,927 | 7.2% |
| Harrison County, TX | 35,865 | 6.2% |
| Smith County, TX | 34,272 | 5.8% |
| Upshur County, TX | 33,285 | 8.9% |
| Union Parish, LA | 30,315 | 5.4% |
| Hempstead County, AR | 24,099 | 5.2% |
| Gregg County, TX | 23,334 | 13.4% |
| Wood County, TX | 22,037 | 5.3% |
| Houston County, TX | 21,367 | 2.7% |
| Marion County, TX | 19,514 | 7.9% |
| San Augustine County, TX | 19,172 | 5.7% |
| Sabine Parish, LA | 17,530 | 3.2% |
| Caddo Parish, LA | 14,206 | 2.5% |
| Choctaw County, OK | 13,229 | 2.7% |
| Morris County, TX | 12,039 | 7.4% |
| Sabine County, TX | 10,896 | 3.5% |
| Winn Parish, LA | 10,338 | 1.7% |
| Ouachita Parish, LA | 9,864 | 2.6% |
| Camp County, TX | 9,627 | 7.6% |
| Cherokee County, TX | 9,401 | 1.4% |
| Henderson County, TX | 8,748 | 1.6% |
| Jackson Parish, LA | 8,092 | 2.2% |
| Leon County, TX | 8,035 | 1.2% |
| Van Zandt County, TX | 6,943 | 1.3% |
| Titus County, TX | 6,222 | 2.4% |
| Angelina County, TX | 5,833 | 1.1% |
| Shelby County, TX | 5,319 | 1.1% |
| De Soto Parish, LA | 4,263 | 0.8% |
| Freestone County, TX | 3,944 | 0.7% |
| Panola County, TX | 3,532 | 0.7% |
| Hopkins County, TX | 3,465 | 0.7% |
| Columbia County, AR | 3,121 | 0.6% |
| Franklin County, TX | 3,025 | 1.6% |
| Vernon Parish, LA | 1,495 | 0.2% |
| Nevada County, AR | 1,434 | 0.4% |
| Bienville Parish, LA | 1,293 | 0.3% |
| Miller County, AR | 934 | 0.2% |
| Lincoln Parish, LA | 920 | 0.3% |
| Natchitoches Parish, LA | 477 | 0.1% |
| Bossier Parish, LA | 412 | 0.1% |
| Claiborne Parish, LA | 387 | 0.1% |
| LaSalle Parish, LA | 359 | 0.1% |
| Clark County, AR | 209 | 0.0% |
| Hot Spring County, AR | 205 | 0.1% |
| Lafayette County, AR | 197 | 0.1% |
| Cleveland County, AR | 158 | 0.0% |
| Trinity County, TX | 155 | 0.0% |
| Little River County, AR | 90 | 0.0% |
| Rains County, TX | 39 | 0.0% |
| Rapides Parish, LA | 0 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Kirvin acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 84.4% |
| Not rated | 15.6% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Kirvin acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.9 feet (35 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 3–12% (median 5%).
- 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 | 99.8% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.2% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.9% |
| C: slow infiltration | 84.7% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.4% |
| 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 | 13.9% |
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 Kirvin (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 747,855 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Kirvin components. The profile comes from the single largest Kirvin component. Full methodology.