Soil series profile
Loring soil series
Loring is a moderately well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 2,225,680 acres in 90 counties across 6 states. Hydrologic group C/D.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C/D 37% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · range 5.3–5.9
- Mapped area
- 2.2M acres in 90 counties, 6 states
Typical Loring profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 5.3 | 15% | 3% | 1.25% |
| 4–20 in (Bt) | Silt loam | 5.3 | 25% | 3% | 0.3% |
| 20–60 in (Btx) | Silt loam | 5.3 | 22% | 3% | 0.1% |
| 60–79 in (C) | Silt loam | 5.5 | 18% | 3% | 0.1% |
What this means
What Loring soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Loring soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 5.3 and 5.9). 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 98% of mapped Loring acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (96% of mapped Loring acres).
>99% of mapped Loring acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 98% 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.
A seasonal high water table comes within 18 inches of the surface on 30% of mapped acres, often in spring. Basements, sump pumps and lawns in low spots feel it first.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 98% of the acres in mapped Loring soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (3% 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 Loring soil is found
Mapped acres
Loring is mapped in Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Missouri. The 60 counties with the most Loring acres:
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Weakley County, TN | 138,521 | 37.4% |
| Hinds County, MS | 114,248 | 20.7% |
| Madison County, MS | 95,657 | 21.4% |
| Yazoo County, MS | 95,554 | 17.0% |
| Haywood County, TN | 92,245 | 24.1% |
| Marshall County, MS | 80,596 | 18.6% |
| Gibson County, TN | 71,214 | 18.6% |
| Hickman County, KY | 69,566 | 44.7% |
| Stoddard County, MO | 63,658 | 12.7% |
| Panola County, MS | 61,706 | 14.7% |
| Graves County, KY | 58,057 | 16.4% |
| Greene County, AR | 57,955 | 17.3% |
| DeSoto County, MS | 54,976 | 18.5% |
| Carlisle County, KY | 53,179 | 43.7% |
| Holmes County, MS | 50,706 | 11.0% |
| Copiah County, MS | 48,415 | 9.9% |
| Carroll County, MS | 45,389 | 11.7% |
| St. Francis County, AR | 43,422 | 10.8% |
| Craighead County, AR | 40,510 | 8.9% |
| Dyer County, TN | 40,490 | 12.2% |
| Crockett County, TN | 38,589 | 19.8% |
| West Feliciana Parish, LA | 35,798 | 14.0% |
| Franklin Parish, LA | 34,638 | 8.9% |
| Lee County, AR | 34,630 | 9.0% |
| Tipton County, TN | 34,065 | 11.8% |
| Clay County, AR | 32,900 | 8.1% |
| East Feliciana Parish, LA | 32,028 | 11.1% |
| Wilkinson County, MS | 30,133 | 7.0% |
| Fayette County, TN | 29,447 | 6.6% |
| Obion County, TN | 28,916 | 8.1% |
| Phillips County, AR | 26,310 | 5.9% |
| Franklin County, MS | 25,851 | 7.6% |
| Butler County, MO | 25,247 | 5.8% |
| Shelby County, TN | 25,226 | 5.2% |
| Jefferson County, MS | 24,566 | 8.0% |
| Cross County, AR | 23,699 | 6.0% |
| Independence County, AR | 23,264 | 4.8% |
| Yalobusha County, MS | 22,519 | 8.0% |
| Ripley County, MO | 22,274 | 5.6% |
| Lauderdale County, TN | 20,830 | 7.0% |
| Fulton County, KY | 18,466 | 13.9% |
| Madison County, TN | 18,398 | 5.2% |
| Randolph County, AR | 17,100 | 4.1% |
| Claiborne County, MS | 16,800 | 5.8% |
| Ballard County, KY | 16,161 | 10.0% |
| Grenada County, MS | 13,947 | 5.6% |
| Carroll County, TN | 12,508 | 3.3% |
| Poinsett County, AR | 11,951 | 2.5% |
| McCracken County, KY | 11,191 | 7.0% |
| Avoyelles Parish, LA | 11,100 | 2.1% |
| Hardeman County, TN | 11,069 | 2.6% |
| Marshall County, KY | 10,946 | 5.2% |
| Tate County, MS | 10,212 | 4.2% |
| Henry County, TN | 10,123 | 2.8% |
| Warren County, MS | 9,966 | 2.7% |
| Calloway County, KY | 9,399 | 4.1% |
| Tallahatchie County, MS | 8,387 | 2.2% |
| Lawrence County, AR | 6,690 | 1.8% |
| Prairie County, AR | 6,042 | 1.5% |
| Lafayette County, MS | 5,907 | 1.5% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Loring acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 97.5% |
| Not rated | 2.5% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Loring acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 1.7 feet (20 in) (median where reported); within 18 inches on 30% of acres.
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 3–10% (median 6%).
- 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 | 0.2% |
| Moderately well drained | 99.8% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.1% |
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 | 32.3% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 28.4% |
| 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 | 37.3% |
| Not rated | 2.0% |
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 Loring (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 2,225,680 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Loring components. The profile comes from the single largest Loring component. Full methodology.