Soil series profile
Wadley soil series
Wadley is a somewhat excessively drained soil with a loamy fine sand surface, mapped on 376,153 acres in 33 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Somewhat excessively drained 95% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 95% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.2 strongly acidic · range 5.0–5.3
- Mapped area
- 376k acres in 33 counties, 3 states
Typical Wadley profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (A) | Loamy fine sand | 5.0 | 3% | 80% | 0.75% |
| 6–73 in (E) | Fine sand | 5.3 | 3% | 87% | 0.1% |
| 73–83 in (Bt) | Sandy loam | 5.3 | 10% | 65% | 0.1% |
What this means
What Wadley soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Wadley soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.2 (most land between 5.0 and 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.
Sandy topsoil covers 100% of mapped Wadley 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 fine sand (72% of mapped Wadley acres).
95% of mapped Wadley acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.
For lawns and yards
95% of mapped acres is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 66% of the acres in mapped Wadley soils very limited, 22% somewhat limited and 13% 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 Wadley soil is found
Mapped acres
Wadley is mapped in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile County, AL | 127,563 | 18.2% |
| Clarke County, AL | 59,904 | 8.6% |
| Baldwin County, AL | 32,334 | 3.3% |
| George County, MS | 22,957 | 7.8% |
| Autauga County, AL | 18,323 | 6.0% |
| Marengo County, AL | 16,522 | 3.0% |
| Jackson County, MS | 14,073 | 3.5% |
| Clarke County, MS | 11,960 | 2.8% |
| Gilchrist County, FL | 9,204 | 4.1% |
| Greene County, MS | 6,348 | 1.4% |
| Marion County, MS | 5,684 | 1.7% |
| Harrison County, MS | 5,273 | 1.4% |
| Covington County, MS | 4,999 | 2.0% |
| Simpson County, MS | 4,318 | 1.2% |
| Washington County, AL | 4,278 | 0.7% |
| Wayne County, MS | 4,206 | 0.9% |
| Perry County, MS | 3,999 | 1.0% |
| Hale County, AL | 3,177 | 0.9% |
| Bibb County, AL | 3,120 | 0.9% |
| Pearl River County, MS | 2,977 | 0.6% |
| Hamilton County, FL | 2,251 | 0.7% |
| Choctaw County, AL | 1,890 | 0.4% |
| Lawrence County, MS | 1,755 | 0.7% |
| Dixie County, FL | 1,677 | 0.4% |
| Stone County, MS | 1,495 | 0.5% |
| Forrest County, MS | 1,046 | 0.4% |
| Jasper County, MS | 1,000 | 0.2% |
| Walthall County, MS | 918 | 0.4% |
| Lauderdale County, MS | 818 | 0.2% |
| Noxubee County, MS | 677 | 0.2% |
| Jones County, MS | 661 | 0.2% |
| Hancock County, MS | 475 | 0.2% |
| Pike County, MS | 274 | 0.1% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Wadley acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 12.6% |
| Somewhat limited | 21.5% |
| Very limited | 65.9% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Wadley 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 3–20% (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 | 94.5% |
| Well drained | 5.5% |
| 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) | 95.4% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 4.6% |
| 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 Wadley (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 376,153 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Wadley components. The profile comes from the single largest Wadley component. Full methodology.