Soil series profile
Notcher soil series
Notcher is a moderately well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 50,614 acres in 4 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 87% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.0 very strongly acidic · range 4.8–5.0
- Mapped area
- 51k acres in 4 counties, 3 states
Typical Notcher profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 in (Ap) | Fine sandy loam | 5.0 | 14% | 54% | 1.25% |
| 5–10 in (BE) | Loam | 5.0 | 17% | 47% | 1% |
| 10–24 in (Btc) | Loam | 5.1 | 21% | 42% | 0.5% |
| 24–30 in (Btvc1) | Gravelly loam | 5.1 | 21% | 47% | 0.25% |
| 30–61 in (Btvc2) | Gravelly sandy clay loam | 5.0 | 21% | 54% | 0.25% |
| 61–80 in (2Bt) | Sandy clay | 5.0 | 38% | 53% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Notcher soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Notcher soils is very strongly acidic: pH 5.0 (most land between 4.8 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 100% of mapped Notcher acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (98% of mapped Notcher acres).
100% of mapped Notcher 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 Notcher 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 Notcher soil is found
Mapped acres
Notcher is mapped in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Escambia County, FL | 37,343 | 8.8% |
| Mobile County, AL | 11,811 | 1.7% |
| Okaloosa County, FL | 1,238 | 0.2% |
| Greene County, MS | 222 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Notcher 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 Notcher acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.0 feet (24 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 1–7% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.2%.
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 | 100.0% |
| 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 | 13.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 87.0% |
| 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 Notcher (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 50,614 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Notcher components. The profile comes from the single largest Notcher component. Full methodology.