Soil series profile
Nicholson soil series
Nicholson is a moderately well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 290,434 acres in 60 counties across 7 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 70% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.5 strongly acidic · range 5.5–5.5
- Mapped area
- 290k acres in 60 counties, 7 states
Typical Nicholson profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–8 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 5.5 | 21% | 8% | 3% |
| 8–28 in (Bt) | Silt loam | 5.5 | 26% | 7% | 0.75% |
| 28–38 in (Btx) | Silty clay loam | 5.5 | 29% | 7% | 0.25% |
| 38–50 in (2Bt) | Clay | 6.5 | 55% | 15% | 0.25% |
| 50–80 in (2C) | Clay | 6.5 | 50% | 20% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Nicholson soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Nicholson soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.5. 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 95% of mapped Nicholson acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (95% of mapped Nicholson acres).
>99% of mapped Nicholson acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 95% 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 95% of the acres in mapped Nicholson soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (5% 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 Nicholson soil is found
Mapped acres
Nicholson is mapped in Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby County, KY | 26,165 | 10.6% |
| Christian County, KY | 21,827 | 4.7% |
| Kenton County, KY | 17,312 | 16.7% |
| Henry County, KY | 14,528 | 7.8% |
| Caldwell County, KY | 13,889 | 6.3% |
| Todd County, KY | 12,620 | 5.2% |
| Oldham County, KY | 11,455 | 9.4% |
| Grant County, KY | 11,383 | 6.9% |
| Boone County, KY | 10,495 | 6.7% |
| Simpson County, KY | 8,776 | 5.8% |
| Owen County, KY | 8,533 | 3.8% |
| St. Francois County, MO | 7,915 | 2.8% |
| Warren County, KY | 7,701 | 2.2% |
| Nelson County, KY | 7,463 | 2.8% |
| Logan County, KY | 6,969 | 2.0% |
| Mason County, KY | 6,404 | 4.2% |
| Madison County, KY | 5,547 | 2.0% |
| Washington County, KY | 5,427 | 2.8% |
| Marion County, KY | 5,231 | 2.4% |
| Bracken County, KY | 5,068 | 3.9% |
| Campbell County, KY | 4,939 | 5.2% |
| Jefferson County, KY | 4,932 | 2.0% |
| Fleming County, KY | 3,858 | 1.7% |
| Scott County, KY | 3,831 | 2.1% |
| Gallatin County, KY | 3,770 | 6.0% |
| Spencer County, KY | 3,674 | 3.1% |
| Pendleton County, KY | 3,402 | 1.9% |
| Garrard County, KY | 2,957 | 2.0% |
| Livingston County, KY | 2,938 | 1.5% |
| Franklin County, KY | 2,863 | 2.1% |
| Lewis County, KY | 2,689 | 0.9% |
| Montgomery County, KY | 2,598 | 2.1% |
| Mercer County, KY | 2,501 | 1.6% |
| Meade County, KY | 2,337 | 1.2% |
| Jefferson County, IN | 2,107 | 0.9% |
| Nicholas County, KY | 2,086 | 1.7% |
| Lincoln County, KY | 2,041 | 1.0% |
| Highland County, OH | 1,877 | 0.5% |
| Grayson County, KY | 1,789 | 0.6% |
| Anderson County, KY | 1,768 | 1.4% |
| Bullitt County, KY | 1,641 | 0.9% |
| Bath County, KY | 1,628 | 0.9% |
| Carroll County, KY | 1,571 | 1.9% |
| Trimble County, KY | 1,441 | 1.5% |
| Clarke County, VA | 1,280 | 1.4% |
| Ste. Genevieve County, MO | 1,279 | 0.4% |
| Adams County, OH | 1,253 | 0.3% |
| Clark County, KY | 1,245 | 0.8% |
| Boyle County, KY | 984 | 0.9% |
| Monroe County, WV | 954 | 0.3% |
| Bourbon County, KY | 902 | 0.5% |
| Fayette County, KY | 881 | 0.5% |
| Hart County, KY | 528 | 0.2% |
| Breckinridge County, KY | 402 | 0.1% |
| Robertson County, KY | 377 | 0.6% |
| Frederick County, VA | 357 | 0.2% |
| Warren County, OH | 16 | 0.0% |
| Stewart County, TN | 12 | 0.0% |
| Woodford County, KY | 11 | 0.0% |
| Jessamine County, KY | 8 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Nicholson acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 95.2% |
| Not rated | 4.8% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Nicholson acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.0 feet (24 in) (median where reported); within 18 inches on 3% of acres.
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 4–9% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 3%.
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 | 99.8% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.2% |
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 | 70.2% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 10.8% |
| 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 | 14.3% |
| Not rated | 4.8% |
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 Nicholson (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 290,434 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Nicholson components. The profile comes from the single largest Nicholson component. Full methodology.