Soil series profile
Rossmoyne soil series
Rossmoyne is a moderately well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 208,136 acres in 14 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 97% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 51% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.9 moderately acidic · range 5.9–5.9
- Mapped area
- 208k acres in 14 counties, 2 states
Typical Rossmoyne profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 5.9 | 20% | 11% | 2.3% |
| 6–23 in (Bt) | Silty clay loam | 5.0 | 28% | 18% | 0.7% |
| 23–35 in (2Btx) | Clay loam | 5.8 | 27% | 25% | 0.25% |
| 35–79 in (2Bt) | Clay loam | 6.7 | 32% | 30% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Rossmoyne soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Rossmoyne soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.9. Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 97% of mapped Rossmoyne acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (94% of mapped Rossmoyne acres).
97% of mapped Rossmoyne acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 97% 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 96% of the acres in mapped Rossmoyne soils very limited, <1% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (4% 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.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Rossmoyne soil is found
Mapped acres
Rossmoyne is mapped in Ohio and Kentucky.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Brown County, OH | 50,040 | 16.0% |
| Clermont County, OH | 36,747 | 12.7% |
| Boone County, KY | 33,012 | 21.1% |
| Highland County, OH | 29,401 | 8.3% |
| Warren County, OH | 16,432 | 6.4% |
| Ross County, OH | 12,642 | 2.9% |
| Adams County, OH | 10,532 | 2.8% |
| Hamilton County, OH | 5,871 | 2.3% |
| Kenton County, KY | 5,223 | 5.0% |
| Clinton County, OH | 4,316 | 1.6% |
| Campbell County, KY | 1,934 | 2.0% |
| Trimble County, KY | 1,794 | 1.9% |
| Butler County, OH | 190 | 0.1% |
| Hocking County, OH | 3 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Rossmoyne acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.7% |
| Very limited | 95.8% |
| Not rated | 3.5% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Rossmoyne acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 1.8 feet (22 in) (median where reported); within 18 inches on 19% of acres.
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 4–9% (median 4%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2.3%.
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 | 97.2% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 2.8% |
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 | 2.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 51.1% |
| 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 | 43.4% |
| Not rated | 3.5% |
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 Rossmoyne (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 208,136 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Rossmoyne components. The profile comes from the single largest Rossmoyne component. Full methodology.