Soil series profile
Pledger soil series
Pledger is a moderately well drained soil with a clay surface, mapped on 233,769 acres in 8 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 93% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.0 neutral · range 7.0–7.0
- Mapped area
- 234k acres in 8 counties, 2 states
Typical Pledger profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–17 in (A) | Clay | 7.0 | 70% | 2% | 6.5% |
| 17–52 in (Bss) | Clay | 7.2 | 73% | 1% | 3.5% |
| 52–67 in (Bkss1) | Silty clay | 7.7 | 53% | 2% | 0.4% |
| 67–80 in (Bkss2) | Silty clay | 7.7 | 55% | 1% | 0.33% |

What this means
What Pledger soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Pledger soils is neutral: pH 7.0, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Clayey topsoil covers 93% of mapped Pledger acres. Clay holds water and nutrients but drains slowly and compacts if worked wet: add compost, avoid tilling soggy soil and consider raised beds. The most common surface texture is clay (93% of mapped Pledger acres).
100% of mapped Pledger acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 93% 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 93% of the acres in mapped Pledger soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (7% 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.
Flooding is mapped on >99% of the acres (4% occasional, <1% frequent).
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Pledger soil is found
Mapped acres
Pledger is mapped in Texas and Oklahoma.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Brazoria County, TX | 118,551 | 13.0% |
| Matagorda County, TX | 64,235 | 9.1% |
| Fort Bend County, TX | 27,876 | 5.0% |
| Wharton County, TX | 18,786 | 2.7% |
| Waller County, TX | 1,337 | 0.4% |
| Bryan County, OK | 1,299 | 0.2% |
| Austin County, TX | 1,279 | 0.3% |
| Colorado County, TX | 407 | 0.1% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Pledger acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 93.3% |
| Not rated | 6.7% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Pledger acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- None reported within about 6.5 feet (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Mapped as flooding on >99% of acres (4% occasional, <1% frequent).
- Slope
- Typically 0–0% (median 0%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 6.5%.
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 | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 93.3% |
| 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 | 6.7% |
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 Pledger (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 233,769 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Pledger components. The profile comes from the single largest Pledger component. Full methodology.