Soil series profile
Wilson soil series
Wilson is a moderately well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 891,289 acres in 62 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 68% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.5 slightly acidic · range 6.5–6.5
- Mapped area
- 891k acres in 62 counties, 2 states
Typical Wilson profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 6.5 | 23% | 25% | 1.25% |
| 7–31 in (Btss) | Clay | 6.7 | 43% | 28% | 1% |
| 31–36 in (Btkss) | Clay | 6.7 | 43% | 28% | 0.5% |
| 36–42 in (Btkssyg) | Clay | 7.8 | 48% | 14% | 0.5% |
| 42–80 in (Btkyg) | Clay loam | 7.5 | 38% | 25% | 0.5% |
What this means
What Wilson soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Wilson soils is slightly acidic: pH 6.5, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 88% of mapped Wilson acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is clay loam (41% of mapped Wilson acres).
100% of mapped Wilson 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 88% of the acres in mapped Wilson soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (12% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
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 Wilson soil is found
Mapped acres
Wilson is mapped in Texas and Oklahoma. The 60 counties with the most Wilson acres:
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Falls County, TX | 98,899 | 20.1% |
| Navarro County, TX | 75,287 | 11.6% |
| Kaufman County, TX | 57,032 | 11.4% |
| Hunt County, TX | 55,372 | 10.3% |
| Limestone County, TX | 48,343 | 8.3% |
| Grayson County, TX | 45,320 | 7.6% |
| Milam County, TX | 40,221 | 6.2% |
| McLennan County, TX | 36,792 | 5.5% |
| Fannin County, TX | 30,748 | 5.4% |
| Lamar County, TX | 30,486 | 5.2% |
| Ellis County, TX | 27,897 | 4.6% |
| Delta County, TX | 23,515 | 14.2% |
| Bastrop County, TX | 22,940 | 4.0% |
| Denton County, TX | 21,783 | 3.8% |
| Hill County, TX | 20,155 | 3.3% |
| Cooke County, TX | 19,141 | 3.4% |
| Hopkins County, TX | 16,850 | 3.4% |
| Collin County, TX | 14,946 | 2.8% |
| Dallas County, TX | 14,023 | 2.5% |
| DeWitt County, TX | 12,141 | 2.1% |
| Carter County, OK | 10,826 | 2.1% |
| Caldwell County, TX | 10,745 | 3.1% |
| Bell County, TX | 10,399 | 1.5% |
| Fayette County, TX | 9,830 | 1.6% |
| Van Zandt County, TX | 9,787 | 1.8% |
| Williamson County, TX | 9,058 | 1.3% |
| Gonzales County, TX | 7,435 | 1.1% |
| Robertson County, TX | 7,208 | 1.3% |
| Tarrant County, TX | 7,008 | 1.3% |
| Travis County, TX | 6,644 | 1.0% |
| Johnston County, OK | 6,500 | 1.6% |
| Burleson County, TX | 6,411 | 1.5% |
| Washington County, TX | 5,941 | 1.5% |
| Austin County, TX | 5,893 | 1.4% |
| Colorado County, TX | 5,786 | 0.9% |
| Brazos County, TX | 5,554 | 1.5% |
| Rockwall County, TX | 5,362 | 6.6% |
| Rains County, TX | 5,069 | 3.4% |
| Lee County, TX | 4,245 | 1.1% |
| Johnson County, TX | 4,171 | 0.9% |
| Freestone County, TX | 4,121 | 0.7% |
| Leon County, TX | 4,101 | 0.6% |
| Red River County, TX | 3,466 | 0.5% |
| Guadalupe County, TX | 3,189 | 0.7% |
| Coal County, OK | 2,969 | 0.9% |
| Grimes County, TX | 2,644 | 0.5% |
| Henderson County, TX | 2,492 | 0.4% |
| Bryan County, OK | 1,984 | 0.3% |
| Love County, OK | 1,796 | 0.5% |
| Marshall County, OK | 1,677 | 0.7% |
| Madison County, TX | 1,390 | 0.5% |
| Franklin County, TX | 1,281 | 0.7% |
| Garvin County, OK | 1,240 | 0.2% |
| Anderson County, TX | 963 | 0.1% |
| Murray County, OK | 801 | 0.3% |
| Lavaca County, TX | 597 | 0.1% |
| Waller County, TX | 296 | 0.1% |
| Montgomery County, TX | 170 | 0.0% |
| Bexar County, TX | 156 | 0.0% |
| Choctaw County, OK | 84 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Wilson acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 88.1% |
| Not rated | 11.9% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Wilson acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 0 inches (median where reported); within 18 inches on 11% of acres.
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 0–2% (median 1%).
- 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 | 0.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 100.0% |
| 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 | 20.5% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 68.0% |
| 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 | 11.2% |
| 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 Wilson (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 891,289 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Wilson components. The profile comes from the single largest Wilson component. Full methodology.