Soil series profile
Nord soil series
Nord is a well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 135,201 acres in 6 counties in CA. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 97% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 88% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.5 slightly alkaline · range 7.5–7.5
- Mapped area
- 135k acres in 6 counties, 1 state
Typical Nord profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–11 in (Ap) | Fine sandy loam | 7.5 | 14% | 70% | 1.5% |
| 11–38 in (C1) | Stratified sandy loam to loam | 7.5 | 14% | 45% | 1.25% |
| 38–50 in (C2) | Stratified loamy coarse sand to coarse sandy loam | 7.5 | 7% | 70% | 0.25% |
| 50–72 in (2Btb) | Stratified sandy loam to silt loam | 7.5 | 14% | 30% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Nord soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Nord soils is slightly alkaline: pH 7.5. Acid-loving plants such as blueberries and azaleas struggle without amended beds, and some trees and shrubs show iron chlorosis (yellow leaves with green veins).
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 65% of mapped Nord acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (96% of mapped Nord acres).
97% of mapped Nord acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 9% of the acres in mapped Nord soils very limited, 88% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (3% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Flooding is mapped on 57% of the acres (0% occasional, 0% frequent).
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Nord soil is found
Mapped acres
Nord is mapped in California.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Tulare County, CA | 77,904 | 3.1% |
| Kings County, CA | 54,668 | 6.1% |
| San Joaquin County, CA | 1,099 | 0.1% |
| Fresno County, CA | 967 | 0.0% |
| Kern County, CA | 439 | 0.0% |
| Stanislaus County, CA | 124 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Nord acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 87.7% |
| Very limited | 9.0% |
| Not rated | 3.3% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Nord acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- None reported within about 6.5 feet (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Mapped as flooding on 57% of acres (0% occasional, 0% frequent).
- Slope
- Typically 1–1% (median 1%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 96.7% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 3.3% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 87.9% |
| C: slow infiltration | 8.8% |
| 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 | 3.3% |
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 Nord (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 135,201 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Nord components. The profile comes from the single largest Nord component. Full methodology.