Soil series profile
Vaucluse soil series
Vaucluse is a well drained soil with a loamy sand surface, mapped on 467,026 acres in 43 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 97% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · range 5.1–5.5
- Mapped area
- 467k acres in 43 counties, 4 states
Typical Vaucluse profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–3 in (A) | Loamy sand | 5.3 | 6% | 88% | 0.75% |
| 3–10 in (E) | Loamy sand | 5.3 | 6% | 88% | 0.25% |
| 10–22 in (Bt1) | Sandy clay loam | 4.6 | 27% | 56% | 0.25% |
| 22–60 in (Bt2) | Sandy clay loam | 4.6 | 32% | 54% | 0.25% |
| 60–74 in (C) | Loamy sand | 4.6 | 10% | 87% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Vaucluse soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Vaucluse soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 5.1 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.
Sandy topsoil covers 93% of mapped Vaucluse acres. It drains fast and warms early in spring, but dries out and loses nutrients quickly: mulch, compost and steady watering help. The most common surface texture is loamy sand (84% of mapped Vaucluse acres).
>99% of mapped Vaucluse 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 >99% of the acres in mapped Vaucluse 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 Vaucluse soil is found
Mapped acres
Vaucluse is mapped in South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Aiken County, SC | 88,072 | 12.8% |
| Moore County, NC | 36,075 | 8.9% |
| Lexington County, SC | 30,156 | 6.8% |
| Richland County, SC | 29,624 | 6.3% |
| Bibb County, GA | 22,182 | 14.0% |
| Macon County, GA | 21,840 | 9.7% |
| Schley County, GA | 19,660 | 20.9% |
| Chesterfield County, SC | 19,440 | 4.1% |
| Calhoun County, SC | 17,975 | 7.8% |
| Wilkinson County, GA | 15,213 | 6.1% |
| Richmond County, GA | 12,546 | 6.1% |
| Houston County, GA | 12,210 | 5.2% |
| Washington County, GA | 11,436 | 3.0% |
| Cumberland County, NC | 10,953 | 3.0% |
| Twiggs County, GA | 9,927 | 4.6% |
| Darlington County, SC | 9,433 | 2.8% |
| Muscogee County, GA | 9,105 | 6.7% |
| Hoke County, NC | 8,434 | 3.7% |
| Harnett County, NC | 7,552 | 2.1% |
| Hancock County, GA | 7,379 | 2.5% |
| Marion County, GA | 6,819 | 2.9% |
| Sumter County, SC | 6,754 | 1.6% |
| Kershaw County, SC | 6,084 | 1.3% |
| Peach County, GA | 5,940 | 6.3% |
| Allendale County, SC | 5,897 | 1.6% |
| Lee County, SC | 5,869 | 2.2% |
| Jones County, GA | 5,185 | 2.1% |
| McDuffie County, GA | 2,840 | 1.7% |
| Chesterfield County, VA | 2,813 | 1.2% |
| Baldwin County, GA | 2,550 | 1.6% |
| Fairfield County, SC | 2,360 | 0.6% |
| Columbia County, GA | 2,350 | 1.3% |
| Sumter County, GA | 2,225 | 0.8% |
| Lee County, NC | 2,178 | 1.5% |
| Lancaster County, SC | 1,700 | 0.5% |
| Scotland County, NC | 1,674 | 0.9% |
| Anson County, NC | 1,376 | 0.5% |
| Saluda County, SC | 1,288 | 0.5% |
| Warren County, GA | 1,155 | 0.6% |
| Dooly County, GA | 540 | 0.2% |
| Chattahoochee County, GA | 129 | 0.1% |
| Barnwell County, SC | 79 | 0.0% |
| Putnam County, GA | 10 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Vaucluse acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 99.7% |
| Not rated | 0.3% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Vaucluse 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 5–15% (median 11%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 0.8%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 99.7% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.3% |
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 | 97.1% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 2.6% |
| 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 | 0.3% |
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 Vaucluse (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 467,026 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Vaucluse components. The profile comes from the single largest Vaucluse component. Full methodology.