Soil series profile
Montevallo soil series
Montevallo is a well drained soil with a channery silt loam surface, mapped on 816,812 acres in 42 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 98% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · range 5.3–5.3
- Mapped area
- 817k acres in 42 counties, 4 states
Typical Montevallo profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (A) | Channery silt loam | 5.3 | 19% | 29% | 1.25% |
| 6–16 in (B) | Very channery silt loam | 5.3 | 25% | 24% | 0.25% |
| 16–80 in (Cr) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Montevallo soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Montevallo soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.3. 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 100% of mapped Montevallo acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is channery silt loam (70% of mapped Montevallo acres).
100% of mapped Montevallo 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 >99% of the acres in mapped Montevallo soils very limited, <1% somewhat limited and <1% 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 Montevallo soil is found
Mapped acres
Montevallo is mapped in Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Arkansas.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, AL | 137,905 | 23.8% |
| Tuscaloosa County, AL | 106,190 | 14.4% |
| Fayette County, AL | 66,018 | 18.9% |
| Sullivan County, TN | 50,953 | 19.2% |
| Walker County, AL | 46,188 | 10.4% |
| Roane County, TN | 39,329 | 17.1% |
| Bradley County, TN | 36,195 | 17.5% |
| Gordon County, GA | 29,079 | 15.9% |
| Murray County, GA | 28,887 | 13.6% |
| Blount County, AL | 25,150 | 7.0% |
| Calhoun County, AL | 22,729 | 6.5% |
| Walker County, GA | 19,108 | 6.8% |
| Anderson County, TN | 17,073 | 7.9% |
| Bartow County, GA | 16,784 | 5.7% |
| Whitfield County, GA | 15,998 | 9.1% |
| Hancock County, TN | 15,707 | 11.0% |
| Hawkins County, TN | 14,757 | 4.7% |
| Floyd County, GA | 14,590 | 4.7% |
| Washington County, TN | 14,578 | 7.0% |
| Polk County, GA | 13,710 | 7.2% |
| Grainger County, TN | 12,271 | 6.8% |
| Franklin County, AR | 10,146 | 2.6% |
| Cherokee County, AL | 8,354 | 2.7% |
| Chattooga County, GA | 7,980 | 4.1% |
| Union County, TN | 6,707 | 4.7% |
| Knox County, TN | 6,649 | 2.0% |
| Carter County, TN | 5,293 | 2.4% |
| Hamilton County, TN | 4,276 | 1.2% |
| Dade County, GA | 4,012 | 3.6% |
| Blount County, TN | 3,494 | 1.0% |
| Claiborne County, TN | 3,047 | 1.1% |
| Sebastian County, AR | 2,716 | 0.8% |
| Washington County, AR | 2,133 | 0.4% |
| Jefferson County, TN | 2,012 | 1.1% |
| Meigs County, TN | 1,861 | 1.5% |
| Monroe County, TN | 1,361 | 0.3% |
| Talladega County, AL | 1,255 | 0.3% |
| Sevier County, TN | 1,066 | 0.3% |
| Coosa County, AL | 513 | 0.1% |
| Marshall County, AL | 396 | 0.1% |
| Greene County, TN | 227 | 0.1% |
| Bibb County, AL | 118 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Montevallo acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.1% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.3% |
| Very limited | 99.6% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Montevallo 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 12–45% (median 30%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.2%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.7% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 1.5% |
| Well drained | 97.8% |
| 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 | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 100.0% |
| 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% |
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 Montevallo (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 816,812 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Montevallo components. The profile comes from the single largest Montevallo component. Full methodology.