Soil series profile
Wateree soil series
Wateree is a well drained soil with a sandy loam surface, mapped on 76,098 acres in 42 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 80% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · range 5.3–5.3
- Mapped area
- 76k acres in 42 counties, 5 states
Typical Wateree profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–3 in (H1) | Sandy loam | 5.3 | 12% | 68% | 0.75% |
| 3–22 in (H2) | Sandy loam | 5.3 | 12% | 66% | 0.25% |
| 22–27 in (H3) | Sandy loam | 4.8 | 10% | 75% | 0.25% |
| 27–54 in (H4) | Weathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| 54–79 in (H5) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Wateree soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Wateree 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 81% of mapped Wateree acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (72% of mapped Wateree acres).
100% of mapped Wateree 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 Wateree 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 Wateree soil is found
Mapped acres
Wateree is mapped in North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and Alabama.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield County, SC | 13,460 | 3.5% |
| Franklin County, NC | 12,201 | 4.0% |
| Vance County, NC | 8,989 | 5.8% |
| Paulding County, GA | 7,221 | 3.7% |
| Cumberland County, VA | 4,701 | 2.9% |
| Gwinnett County, GA | 3,667 | 1.4% |
| Orange County, NC | 3,197 | 1.3% |
| Hall County, GA | 2,812 | 1.1% |
| Chester County, SC | 2,642 | 0.7% |
| Cobb County, GA | 2,309 | 1.1% |
| Richmond city, VA | 2,022 | 5.7% |
| Hancock County, GA | 1,860 | 0.6% |
| Warren County, NC | 1,428 | 0.6% |
| Lee County, AL | 1,209 | 0.4% |
| Jackson County, GA | 788 | 0.4% |
| Edgefield County, SC | 702 | 0.2% |
| Person County, NC | 650 | 0.3% |
| Johnston County, NC | 592 | 0.1% |
| Barrow County, GA | 546 | 0.5% |
| Chatham County, NC | 529 | 0.1% |
| Granville County, NC | 525 | 0.2% |
| Wilkes County, GA | 448 | 0.2% |
| Harris County, GA | 409 | 0.1% |
| Davie County, NC | 405 | 0.3% |
| Forsyth County, NC | 368 | 0.2% |
| Davidson County, NC | 281 | 0.1% |
| Lee County, NC | 262 | 0.2% |
| Lincoln County, GA | 256 | 0.2% |
| Caroline County, VA | 252 | 0.1% |
| Gaston County, NC | 241 | 0.1% |
| Taliaferro County, GA | 201 | 0.2% |
| Halifax County, NC | 192 | 0.0% |
| Cabarrus County, NC | 184 | 0.1% |
| Aiken County, SC | 173 | 0.0% |
| Iredell County, NC | 128 | 0.0% |
| Durham County, NC | 108 | 0.1% |
| Nash County, NC | 42 | 0.0% |
| Talbot County, GA | 42 | 0.0% |
| Lincoln County, NC | 38 | 0.0% |
| Bartow County, GA | 8 | 0.0% |
| Wilson County, NC | 8 | 0.0% |
| Anson County, NC | 3 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Wateree 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 Wateree 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 8–28% (median 18%).
- 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 | 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) | 20.4% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 79.6% |
| 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 Wateree (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 76,098 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Wateree components. The profile comes from the single largest Wateree component. Full methodology.