Soil series profile
Poarch soil series
Poarch is a well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 317,557 acres in 17 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 59% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.0 very strongly acidic · range 4.9–5.3
- Mapped area
- 318k acres in 17 counties, 3 states
Typical Poarch profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (Ap) | Fine sandy loam | 4.9 | 6% | 69% | 1.5% |
| 7–12 in (E) | Loam | 5.1 | 12% | 50% | 0.5% |
| 12–32 in (Bt) | Loam | 5.0 | 14% | 50% | 0.1% |
| 32–66 in (Btv1) | Loam | 4.9 | 15% | 45% | 0.05% |
| 66–80 in (Btv2) | Fine sandy loam | 4.9 | 14% | 60% | 0.05% |
What this means
What Poarch soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Poarch soils is very strongly acidic: pH 5.0 (most land between 4.9 and 5.3). 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 73% of mapped Poarch acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (61% of mapped Poarch acres).
100% of mapped Poarch 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 100% of the acres in mapped Poarch 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 Poarch soil is found
Mapped acres
Poarch is mapped in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Harrison County, MS | 90,948 | 24.2% |
| Hancock County, MS | 51,863 | 17.2% |
| Washington County, AL | 43,868 | 7.1% |
| Escambia County, FL | 39,485 | 9.4% |
| Pearl River County, MS | 27,547 | 6.0% |
| Escambia County, AL | 13,878 | 2.6% |
| Forrest County, MS | 12,613 | 4.5% |
| Conecuh County, AL | 8,334 | 1.7% |
| Jackson County, MS | 8,066 | 2.0% |
| Mobile County, AL | 5,997 | 0.9% |
| Monroe County, AL | 4,106 | 0.7% |
| Stone County, MS | 4,042 | 1.5% |
| Jones County, MS | 2,604 | 0.6% |
| Greene County, MS | 1,721 | 0.4% |
| Wayne County, MS | 1,292 | 0.3% |
| Walton County, FL | 780 | 0.1% |
| Wilcox County, AL | 414 | 0.1% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Poarch 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 Poarch acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 3.6 feet (43 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 1–9% (median 3%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 0.8%.
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) | 2.6% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 59.4% |
| C: slow infiltration | 38.0% |
| 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% |
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 Poarch (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 317,557 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Poarch components. The profile comes from the single largest Poarch component. Full methodology.