Soil series profile
Springerville soil series
Springerville is a well drained soil with a cobbly clay surface, mapped on 469,740 acres in 7 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 86% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 7.6 slightly alkaline · range 7.6–7.9
- Mapped area
- 470k acres in 7 counties, 2 states
Typical Springerville profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 in (H1) | Cobbly clay | 7.6 | 50% | 22% | 1.5% |
| 4–35 in (H2) | Silty clay | 7.6 | 50% | 5% | 1.5% |
| 35–39 in (H3) | Stony silty clay | 7.4 | 50% | 5% | 1.5% |
| 39–50 in (H4) | Unweathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Springerville soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Springerville soils is slightly alkaline: pH 7.6 (most land between 7.6 and 7.9). Acid-loving plants such as blueberries and azaleas struggle without amended beds, and some trees and shrubs show iron chlorosis (yellow leaves with green veins).
Clayey topsoil covers 98% of mapped Springerville 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 cobbly clay (71% of mapped Springerville acres).
100% of mapped Springerville acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Springerville 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 Springerville soil is found
Mapped acres
Springerville is mapped in Arizona and Utah.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Yavapai County, AZ | 293,661 | 7.1% |
| Coconino County, AZ | 144,136 | 1.2% |
| Apache County, AZ | 14,990 | 0.2% |
| Mohave County, AZ | 10,761 | 0.1% |
| Navajo County, AZ | 5,509 | 0.1% |
| Washington County, UT | 662 | 0.1% |
| Gila County, AZ | 21 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Springerville 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 Springerville 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 4–15% (median 5%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
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 | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 14.3% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 85.7% |
| 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 Springerville (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 469,740 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Springerville components. The profile comes from the single largest Springerville component. Full methodology.