Soil series profile
Shelton soil series
Shelton is a moderately well drained soil with a very gravelly medial loam surface, mapped on 78,630 acres in 4 counties in WA. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 69% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · range 5.3–5.3
- Mapped area
- 79k acres in 4 counties, 1 state
Typical Shelton profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–3 in (H1) | Very gravelly medial loam | 5.3 | 8% | 46% | 7.5% |
| 3–27 in (H2) | Very gravelly medial sandy loam | 5.3 | 9% | 68% | 0.5% |
| 27–60 in (H3) | Very gravelly sandy loam | 5.8 | 9% | 68% | 0.5% |
What this means
What Shelton soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Shelton soils is strongly acidic: pH 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 100% of mapped Shelton acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is very gravelly medial loam (69% of mapped Shelton acres).
100% of mapped Shelton acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
69% of mapped acres is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 100% of the acres in mapped Shelton 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 Shelton soil is found
Mapped acres
Shelton is mapped in Washington.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Mason County, WA | 54,070 | 9.4% |
| Kitsap County, WA | 24,520 | 9.7% |
| Pierce County, WA | 24 | 0.0% |
| Thurston County, WA | 15 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Shelton 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 Shelton acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.5 feet (30 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 3–23% (median 10%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 7.5%.
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) | 68.8% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 15.9% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 15.3% |
| 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 Shelton (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 78,630 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Shelton components. The profile comes from the single largest Shelton component. Full methodology.