Soil series profile
Playco soil series
Playco is a well drained soil with a loamy sand surface, mapped on 102,828 acres in 4 counties in WA. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B >99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.0 very strongly acidic · range 5.0–5.0
- Mapped area
- 103k acres in 4 counties, 1 state
Typical Playco profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (H1) | Loamy sand | 5.0 | 4% | 80% | 12.5% |
| 6–10 in (H2) | Sandy loam | 5.8 | 6% | 64% | 4% |
| 10–36 in (H3) | Very gravelly loam | 6.1 | 10% | 46% | 4% |
| 36–60 in (H4) | Very gravelly loam | 5.8 | 10% | 46% | 0.75% |
What this means
What Playco soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Playco soils is very strongly acidic: pH 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.
Sandy topsoil covers >99% of mapped Playco acres. It drains fast and warms early in spring, but dries out and loses nutrients quickly: mulch, compost and steady watering help. The most common surface texture is loamy sand (56% of mapped Playco acres).
100% of mapped Playco 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 >99% of the acres in mapped Playco 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 Playco soil is found
Mapped acres
Playco is mapped in Washington.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| King County, WA | 76,477 | 6.2% |
| Pierce County, WA | 25,806 | 2.3% |
| Whatcom County, WA | 344 | 0.0% |
| Snohomish County, WA | 201 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Playco acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 99.3% |
| Not rated | 0.7% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Playco 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 19–48% (median 48%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 12.5%.
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) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 99.3% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| 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 | 0.7% |
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 Playco (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 102,828 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Playco components. The profile comes from the single largest Playco component. Full methodology.