Soil series profile
Latham soil series
Latham is a moderately well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 672,760 acres in 51 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 97% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 81% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.1 strongly acidic · range 4.7–5.1
- Mapped area
- 673k acres in 51 counties, 3 states
Typical Latham profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–11 in (H1) | Silt loam | 5.1 | 24% | 25% | 2% |
| 11–38 in (H2) | Silty clay | 4.3 | 45% | 7% | 0.25% |
| 38–48 in (Cr) | Weathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Latham soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Latham soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.1 (most land between 4.7 and 5.1). 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 93% of mapped Latham acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (93% of mapped Latham acres).
97% of mapped Latham acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 93% 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 93% of the acres in mapped Latham soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (7% 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 Latham soil is found
Mapped acres
Latham is mapped in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Carter County, KY | 75,196 | 28.7% |
| Knox County, KY | 64,670 | 26.1% |
| Greenup County, KY | 60,645 | 27.5% |
| Laurel County, KY | 46,418 | 16.7% |
| Menifee County, KY | 34,343 | 26.5% |
| Scioto County, OH | 34,314 | 8.8% |
| Whitley County, KY | 29,930 | 10.7% |
| Jackson County, OH | 27,419 | 10.2% |
| Rowan County, KY | 26,694 | 14.8% |
| Butler County, KY | 25,787 | 9.5% |
| Wayne County, WV | 25,585 | 10.4% |
| Morgan County, KY | 23,233 | 9.5% |
| Pike County, OH | 22,549 | 8.0% |
| Boyd County, KY | 22,011 | 21.5% |
| Rockcastle County, KY | 19,119 | 9.4% |
| Vinton County, OH | 17,651 | 6.7% |
| Wolfe County, KY | 13,912 | 9.8% |
| Lawrence County, OH | 13,129 | 4.5% |
| Leslie County, KY | 12,206 | 4.7% |
| Edmonson County, KY | 11,597 | 6.0% |
| Preston County, WV | 10,992 | 3.2% |
| Breathitt County, KY | 9,183 | 2.9% |
| Magoffin County, KY | 7,793 | 3.9% |
| Perry County, KY | 6,729 | 3.1% |
| Lee County, KY | 5,220 | 3.9% |
| Adams County, OH | 4,640 | 1.2% |
| Stark County, OH | 4,612 | 1.3% |
| Ross County, OH | 3,187 | 0.7% |
| Estill County, KY | 2,032 | 1.3% |
| Washington County, OH | 2,015 | 0.5% |
| Powell County, KY | 1,980 | 1.7% |
| Lincoln County, WV | 1,903 | 0.8% |
| Gallia County, OH | 1,490 | 0.5% |
| Mercer County, WV | 656 | 0.3% |
| Richland County, OH | 636 | 0.2% |
| Elliott County, KY | 576 | 0.4% |
| Hocking County, OH | 560 | 0.2% |
| Wayne County, KY | 433 | 0.2% |
| Summers County, WV | 414 | 0.2% |
| Delaware County, OH | 369 | 0.1% |
| Monroe County, OH | 369 | 0.1% |
| Montgomery County, KY | 282 | 0.2% |
| Athens County, OH | 127 | 0.0% |
| Fairfield County, OH | 127 | 0.0% |
| Mingo County, WV | 9 | 0.0% |
| Knox County, OH | 6 | 0.0% |
| Barren County, KY | 5 | 0.0% |
| Ashland County, OH | 4 | 0.0% |
| Highland County, OH | 2 | 0.0% |
| Franklin County, OH | 2 | 0.0% |
| Meigs County, OH | 0 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Latham acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 93.3% |
| Not rated | 6.7% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Latham acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 1.7 feet (20 in) (median where reported); within 18 inches on 13% of acres.
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 12–45% (median 30%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 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 | 97.2% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 2.8% |
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 | 0.1% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 80.7% |
| 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 | 12.6% |
| Not rated | 6.7% |
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 Latham (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 672,760 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Latham components. The profile comes from the single largest Latham component. Full methodology.