Soil series profile
Luverne soil series
Luverne is a well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 1,935,874 acres in 65 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 97% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.6 very strongly acidic · range 4.6–5.0
- Mapped area
- 1.9M acres in 65 counties, 5 states
Typical Luverne profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 in (H1) | Fine sandy loam | 5.0 | 14% | 67% | 0.75% |
| 5–36 in (H2) | Clay | 4.6 | 43% | 28% | 0.2% |
| 36–65 in (H3) | Clay loam | 4.6 | 30% | 34% | 0.1% |
What this means
What Luverne soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Luverne soils is very strongly acidic: pH 4.6 (most land between 4.6 and 5.0). 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 87% of mapped Luverne acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (52% of mapped Luverne acres).
100% of mapped Luverne acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Luverne soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
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 Luverne soil is found
Mapped acres
Luverne is mapped in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Kentucky. The 60 counties with the most Luverne acres:
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Butler County, AL | 115,131 | 26.2% |
| Choctaw County, AL | 110,212 | 21.5% |
| Wilcox County, AL | 96,121 | 19.3% |
| Pickens County, AL | 95,646 | 18.5% |
| Clarke County, AL | 78,806 | 11.3% |
| Tuscaloosa County, AL | 78,593 | 10.7% |
| Sumter County, AL | 69,045 | 14.2% |
| Coffee County, AL | 68,967 | 18.2% |
| Lamar County, AL | 68,893 | 19.5% |
| Bullock County, AL | 68,220 | 19.5% |
| Perry County, AL | 67,628 | 16.7% |
| Chilton County, AL | 53,889 | 13.9% |
| Pike County, AL | 53,824 | 14.2% |
| Bibb County, AL | 53,762 | 15.2% |
| Russell County, AL | 52,050 | 14.4% |
| Monroe County, AL | 51,618 | 9.1% |
| Marion County, AL | 50,916 | 12.6% |
| Marengo County, AL | 50,900 | 9.2% |
| Itawamba County, MS | 45,399 | 13.6% |
| Hale County, AL | 44,034 | 12.3% |
| Barbour County, AL | 42,317 | 8.9% |
| McNairy County, TN | 41,636 | 11.6% |
| Hardin County, TN | 38,643 | 10.5% |
| Hardeman County, TN | 37,882 | 8.9% |
| Fayette County, AL | 34,179 | 9.8% |
| Prentiss County, MS | 33,840 | 13.9% |
| Lee County, MS | 28,853 | 10.4% |
| Monroe County, MS | 28,516 | 6.0% |
| Dallas County, AL | 27,197 | 5.1% |
| Autauga County, AL | 25,092 | 8.2% |
| Henderson County, TN | 24,186 | 7.3% |
| Macon County, AL | 23,560 | 6.9% |
| Conecuh County, AL | 20,964 | 4.4% |
| Crenshaw County, AL | 16,543 | 4.7% |
| Franklin County, AL | 14,845 | 4.3% |
| Chester County, TN | 14,074 | 7.6% |
| Wayne County, TN | 13,267 | 2.8% |
| Tishomingo County, MS | 12,287 | 4.7% |
| Lowndes County, AL | 11,270 | 2.8% |
| Decatur County, TN | 10,228 | 4.8% |
| Elmore County, AL | 10,091 | 2.8% |
| Benton County, TN | 8,683 | 3.4% |
| Howard County, AR | 8,630 | 2.3% |
| Lauderdale County, MS | 5,926 | 1.6% |
| Marshall County, MS | 5,804 | 1.3% |
| Henry County, TN | 4,301 | 1.2% |
| Alcorn County, MS | 3,232 | 1.3% |
| Covington County, AL | 3,093 | 0.5% |
| Washington County, AL | 2,699 | 0.4% |
| Winston County, MS | 2,424 | 0.6% |
| Kemper County, MS | 1,513 | 0.4% |
| Carroll County, TN | 1,480 | 0.4% |
| Jasper County, MS | 1,478 | 0.4% |
| Smith County, MS | 1,157 | 0.3% |
| Neshoba County, MS | 1,119 | 0.3% |
| Greene County, MS | 476 | 0.1% |
| Choctaw County, MS | 316 | 0.1% |
| Calloway County, KY | 151 | 0.1% |
| Marshall County, KY | 62 | 0.0% |
| Wayne County, MS | 60 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Luverne acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 100.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Luverne 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 5–28% (median 18%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 0.8%.
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 | 96.7% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 3.3% |
| 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 Luverne (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 1,935,874 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Luverne components. The profile comes from the single largest Luverne component. Full methodology.