Soil series profile
Tankerville soil series
Tankerville is a well drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 48,344 acres in 2 counties in VA. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · range 5.3–5.3
- Mapped area
- 48k acres in 2 counties, 1 state
Typical Tankerville profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 in (H1) | Loam | 5.3 | 19% | 43% | 1% |
| 4–30 in (H2) | Loam | 5.5 | 18% | 43% | 0.25% |
| 30–35 in (H3) | Gravelly loam | 6.5 | 19% | 43% | 0.25% |
| 35–40 in (H4) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| 40–50 in (H5) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Tankerville soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Tankerville 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 Tankerville acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (100% of mapped Tankerville acres).
100% of mapped Tankerville 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 Tankerville 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 Tankerville soil is found
Mapped acres
Tankerville is mapped in Virginia.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Fauquier County, VA | 29,343 | 8.1% |
| Loudoun County, VA | 19,001 | 6.7% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Tankerville 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 Tankerville 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 11–35% (median 11%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1%.
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 | 100.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| 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 Tankerville (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 48,344 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Tankerville components. The profile comes from the single largest Tankerville component. Full methodology.