Soil series profile
Maury soil series
Maury is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 208,453 acres in 23 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 55% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.8 moderately acidic · range 5.8–6.2
- Mapped area
- 208k acres in 23 counties, 3 states
Typical Maury profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–9 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 5.8 | 22% | 11% | 2.92% |
| 9–16 in (Bt1) | Silty clay loam | 6.5 | 35% | 8% | 1.08% |
| 16–53 in (2Bt2) | Clay | 6.3 | 47% | 15% | 0.51% |
| 53–100 in (2BC) | Clay | 5.6 | 50% | 22% | 0.45% |
What this means
What Maury soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Maury soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.8 (most land between 5.8 and 6.2). 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 97% of mapped Maury acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (93% of mapped Maury acres).
100% of mapped Maury acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 55% 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 64% of the acres in mapped Maury soils very limited, 33% 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 Maury soil is found
Mapped acres
Maury is mapped in Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Fayette County, KY | 35,099 | 19.3% |
| Davidson County, TN | 27,225 | 8.5% |
| Woodford County, KY | 22,205 | 18.3% |
| Maury County, TN | 21,868 | 5.6% |
| Williamson County, TN | 17,301 | 4.7% |
| Bourbon County, KY | 14,245 | 7.7% |
| Jessamine County, KY | 12,500 | 11.3% |
| Scott County, KY | 11,763 | 6.5% |
| Giles County, TN | 11,417 | 2.9% |
| Mercer County, KY | 8,417 | 5.3% |
| Boyle County, KY | 5,640 | 4.9% |
| Wilson County, TN | 4,208 | 1.2% |
| Franklin County, KY | 3,909 | 2.9% |
| Clark County, KY | 3,736 | 2.3% |
| Garrard County, KY | 3,042 | 2.1% |
| Limestone County, AL | 2,364 | 0.7% |
| Harrison County, KY | 1,116 | 0.6% |
| Decatur County, TN | 826 | 0.4% |
| Nicholas County, KY | 510 | 0.4% |
| Stewart County, TN | 375 | 0.1% |
| Anderson County, KY | 307 | 0.2% |
| Lincoln County, KY | 249 | 0.1% |
| Houston County, TN | 132 | 0.1% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Maury acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 32.9% |
| Very limited | 64.0% |
| Not rated | 3.1% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Maury 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 4–9% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2.9%.
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) | 18.9% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 22.6% |
| C: slow infiltration | 55.4% |
| 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% |
| Not rated | 3.1% |
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 Maury (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 208,453 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Maury components. The profile comes from the single largest Maury component. Full methodology.