Soil series profile
Woodtell soil series
Woodtell is a well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 599,669 acres in 26 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 89% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.5 strongly acidic · range 5.5–5.5
- Mapped area
- 600k acres in 26 counties, 2 states
Typical Woodtell profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (A) | Fine sandy loam | 5.5 | 13% | 71% | 1.5% |
| 7–26 in (Btss) | Clay | 5.0 | 50% | 22% | 0.75% |
| 26–54 in (BC) | Clay loam | 5.3 | 38% | 32% | 0.25% |
| 54–72 in (C) | Clay loam | 5.9 | 32% | 43% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Woodtell soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Woodtell soils is strongly acidic: pH 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.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 61% of mapped Woodtell acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (46% of mapped Woodtell acres).
>99% of mapped Woodtell 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 96% of the acres in mapped Woodtell soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (4% 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 Woodtell soil is found
Mapped acres
Woodtell is mapped in Texas and Oklahoma.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Van Zandt County, TX | 87,098 | 16.0% |
| Red River County, TX | 83,439 | 12.5% |
| Hopkins County, TX | 71,366 | 14.4% |
| Titus County, TX | 65,901 | 25.1% |
| Bowie County, TX | 34,743 | 6.1% |
| Wood County, TX | 34,250 | 8.2% |
| Rains County, TX | 33,494 | 22.5% |
| Franklin County, TX | 30,112 | 16.4% |
| Houston County, TX | 29,886 | 3.8% |
| Henderson County, TX | 28,862 | 5.2% |
| Angelina County, TX | 22,032 | 4.3% |
| Lamar County, TX | 21,828 | 3.7% |
| Morris County, TX | 16,331 | 10.0% |
| Leon County, TX | 11,079 | 1.6% |
| Cherokee County, TX | 10,710 | 1.6% |
| Nacogdoches County, TX | 10,471 | 1.7% |
| Walker County, TX | 3,220 | 0.6% |
| Rusk County, TX | 2,087 | 0.4% |
| Delta County, TX | 1,700 | 1.0% |
| Camp County, TX | 312 | 0.2% |
| San Augustine County, TX | 233 | 0.1% |
| Trinity County, TX | 135 | 0.0% |
| Sabine County, TX | 133 | 0.0% |
| Anderson County, TX | 126 | 0.0% |
| Bryan County, OK | 104 | 0.0% |
| Navarro County, TX | 17 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Woodtell acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 95.9% |
| Not rated | 4.1% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Woodtell 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 3–13% (median 9%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 99.5% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.4% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.2% |
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 | 9.5% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 89.2% |
| 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 | 1.3% |
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 Woodtell (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 599,669 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Woodtell components. The profile comes from the single largest Woodtell component. Full methodology.