Soil series profile
Townley soil series
Townley is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 688,863 acres in 42 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.6 very strongly acidic · range 4.6–5.0
- Mapped area
- 689k acres in 42 counties, 4 states
Typical Townley profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (A) | Silt loam | 4.6 | 19% | 27% | 1.25% |
| 6–23 in (Bt1) | Silty clay | 4.6 | 48% | 6% | 0.25% |
| 23–25 in (Bt2) | Silty clay | 4.6 | 48% | 6% | 0.25% |
| 25–30 in (Cr) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Townley soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Townley soils is very strongly acidic: pH 4.6 (most land between 4.6 and 5.0). 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 Townley acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (78% of mapped Townley acres).
100% of mapped Townley acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 99% 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 Townley 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 Townley soil is found
Mapped acres
Townley is mapped in Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas and Tennessee.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Walker County, AL | 91,650 | 20.7% |
| Shelby County, AL | 78,668 | 18.2% |
| Saline County, AR | 78,554 | 17.1% |
| St. Clair County, AL | 73,167 | 21.3% |
| Floyd County, GA | 33,361 | 10.7% |
| Whitfield County, GA | 29,771 | 16.9% |
| Gordon County, GA | 27,730 | 15.2% |
| Marion County, AL | 26,397 | 6.5% |
| Blount County, AL | 26,265 | 7.3% |
| Murray County, GA | 24,106 | 11.4% |
| Etowah County, AL | 19,448 | 6.7% |
| Jefferson County, AL | 18,821 | 3.2% |
| Grainger County, TN | 16,805 | 9.3% |
| Walker County, GA | 16,444 | 5.9% |
| Chattooga County, GA | 14,399 | 7.4% |
| Bartow County, GA | 12,844 | 4.4% |
| Roane County, TN | 12,349 | 5.4% |
| Talladega County, AL | 9,514 | 2.3% |
| Fayette County, AL | 8,646 | 2.5% |
| Catoosa County, GA | 8,245 | 8.2% |
| Sevier County, TN | 7,663 | 2.0% |
| Knox County, TN | 7,352 | 2.3% |
| Polk County, GA | 7,025 | 3.7% |
| Winston County, AL | 6,978 | 2.0% |
| McMinn County, TN | 5,786 | 2.1% |
| Rhea County, TN | 5,590 | 2.8% |
| Bibb County, AL | 5,115 | 1.4% |
| Meigs County, TN | 3,693 | 3.0% |
| Cocke County, TN | 2,552 | 0.9% |
| Sullivan County, TN | 2,121 | 0.8% |
| Dade County, GA | 2,017 | 1.8% |
| Coosa County, AL | 1,980 | 0.5% |
| Anderson County, TN | 1,873 | 0.9% |
| Cherokee County, AL | 815 | 0.3% |
| Washington County, TN | 545 | 0.3% |
| Carter County, TN | 220 | 0.1% |
| Bradley County, TN | 148 | 0.1% |
| Hamilton County, TN | 112 | 0.0% |
| Hancock County, TN | 25 | 0.0% |
| Hawkins County, TN | 23 | 0.0% |
| Sequatchie County, TN | 22 | 0.0% |
| Monroe County, TN | 21 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Townley 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 Townley 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 8–30% (median 18%).
- 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 | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 98.6% |
| 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% |
| Not rated | 1.4% |
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 Townley (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 688,863 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Townley components. The profile comes from the single largest Townley component. Full methodology.