Soil series profile
Tomlin soil series
Tomlin is a well drained soil with a sandy clay loam surface, mapped on 118,448 acres in 7 counties in NC. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.5 strongly acidic · range 4.9–5.5
- Mapped area
- 118k acres in 7 counties, 1 state
Typical Tomlin profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–10 in (Ap) | Sandy clay loam | 5.5 | 30% | 55% | 1.25% |
| 10–28 in (Bt1) | Clay | 5.8 | 55% | 17% | 0.25% |
| 28–48 in (Bt2) | Clay loam | 4.8 | 35% | 33% | 0.25% |
| 48–67 in (CB) | Loam | 5.4 | 10% | 46% | 0.25% |
| 67–80 in (C) | Loam | 4.8 | 25% | 39% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Tomlin soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Tomlin soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.5 (most land between 4.9 and 5.5). 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 Tomlin acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy clay loam (53% of mapped Tomlin acres).
100% of mapped Tomlin 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 9% of the acres in mapped Tomlin soils very limited, 91% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Tomlin soil is found
Mapped acres
Tomlin is mapped in North Carolina.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Iredell County, NC | 48,057 | 13.7% |
| Catawba County, NC | 22,979 | 9.7% |
| Forsyth County, NC | 20,133 | 8.6% |
| Davie County, NC | 15,308 | 9.7% |
| Yadkin County, NC | 9,292 | 4.6% |
| Caswell County, NC | 1,404 | 0.5% |
| Guilford County, NC | 1,275 | 0.3% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Tomlin acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 91.3% |
| Very limited | 8.7% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Tomlin 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 4–13% (median 8%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.2%.
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 Tomlin (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 118,448 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Tomlin components. The profile comes from the single largest Tomlin component. Full methodology.