Alternative Text Description for Specific Soils (SSURGO) - Drainage Class

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays soil drainage classifications across Florida based on SSURGO (Soil Survey Geographic Database) data. The map categorizes soils into eight drainage classes ranging from "Very Poor" to "Excessive," showing how well water drains through different soil types across the state. This information is critical for land use planning, agriculture, construction, and environmental management decisions.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the entire state of Florida, from the panhandle in the northwest to the southern tip near Miami. Major cities labeled include Tallahassee (the state capital in the panhandle), Jacksonville (northeast), Orlando (central), Tampa (west-central), Cape Coral (southwest), and Miami (southeast). The map extends slightly beyond Florida's borders to show portions of neighboring states including southern Georgia and Alabama to the north, and includes Dothan, Albany, and Valdosta as reference cities. The map shows Florida's distinctive peninsula shape bordered by the Gulf of America to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

KEY INSIGHTS

Florida exhibits a clear regional pattern in soil drainage characteristics. The northern panhandle region displays predominantly well-drained and excessively drained soils, indicated by bright green and lime-yellow coloring. Central Florida features distinctive linear corridors of well-drained and moderately well-drained soils running north-south through the peninsula, appearing as bright green and cyan streaks against a backdrop of poorly drained soils. Southern Florida, particularly the area south of Lake Okeechobee (the large white area in south-central Florida), shows extensive very poorly drained soils in coral-pink tones, reflecting the region's low-lying wetland character including the Everglades. The eastern coastal areas from Jacksonville to Miami show predominantly poor to somewhat poor drainage, while the western coastal regions display more variable drainage patterns.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Specific Soils (SSURGO) - Drainage Class

This layer represents the natural drainage characteristics of soils based on detailed soil survey data.

Unclassified Drainage (dark brown)

Appearance:

Dark brown color

Distribution:

Scattered minimally throughout the state; difficult to identify specific locations due to limited extent

Notable locations:

No significant concentrations visible

Spatial patterns:

Appears sporadically with no clear pattern

Excessive (lime yellow-green)

Appearance:

Bright lime-yellow to yellow-green color

Distribution:

Concentrated in the northern panhandle and scattered throughout central and northern Florida

Notable locations:

Extensive coverage in the western panhandle near Tallahassee, patches in northern central Florida, and scattered occurrences in the central peninsula

Spatial patterns:

Forms broad areas in the panhandle and appears in isolated patches elsewhere; often adjacent to well-drained soils

Moderately Well (cyan/turquoise)

Appearance:

Bright cyan or turquoise blue color

Distribution:

Appears in linear corridors through central Florida and scattered patches throughout the state

Notable locations:

Notable north-south trending corridors in central Florida near Orlando, scattered patches in the northern regions, and isolated areas in southern Florida including near Miami

Spatial patterns:

Forms distinctive linear features in central Florida, often appearing alongside well-drained soils in ridge-like patterns

Poor (pale lavender/light purple)

Appearance:

Light lavender or pale purple color

Distribution:

Widespread throughout Florida, forming the dominant background color across most of the peninsula

Notable locations:

Extensive coverage throughout central and northern Florida, particularly east of Tallahassee, around Jacksonville, throughout the central peninsula, and in areas surrounding Orlando and Tampa

Spatial patterns:

Forms the matrix within which better-drained soils appear as corridors and patches; represents the most extensive drainage class visible on the map

Somewhat Excessive (pale green)

Appearance:

Pale green to light olive color

Distribution:

Limited distribution, appearing primarily in the northern panhandle region

Notable locations:

Small patches in the western panhandle and very scattered occurrences elsewhere in the state

Spatial patterns:

Appears in transitional zones between excessively drained and moderately drained areas

Somewhat Poor (purple/violet)

Appearance:

Medium purple or violet color

Distribution:

Scattered throughout the state with concentrations in northern and central regions

Notable locations:

Visible in the eastern panhandle, areas around Jacksonville, portions of central Florida, and scattered patches throughout the peninsula

Spatial patterns:

Often appears adjacent to poorly drained soils, forming transitional zones between poor and better drainage classes

Very Poor (coral pink/salmon)

Appearance:

Coral pink to salmon color

Distribution:

Concentrated heavily in southern Florida, with additional presence in northern Florida and scattered coastal areas

Notable locations:

Dominates southern Florida south of Lake Okeechobee including the Everglades region and areas around Miami; also appears in the western panhandle south of Tallahassee and in scattered coastal zones

Spatial patterns:

Forms extensive continuous areas in southern Florida reflecting wetland environments; appears in lower-lying coastal areas elsewhere in the state

Well (bright green)

Appearance:

Bright green color

Distribution:

Appears in distinctive linear north-south corridors through central Florida, patches in the northern panhandle, and scattered throughout the state

Notable locations:

Prominent ridges running through central Florida in the Orlando region, extending both north and south; significant coverage in the northern panhandle; scattered patches near major population centers

Spatial patterns:

Forms striking linear features in central Florida representing higher elevation ridges; often appears interspersed with moderately well-drained soils in corridor patterns

Overlapping Patterns

The map reveals a clear relationship between drainage class and topography, with better-drained soils (well, moderately well, and excessive) concentrated along elevated ridges and upland areas, particularly visible as north-south trending features in central Florida. Poorly and very poorly drained soils dominate low-lying areas, coastal zones, and southern wetland regions. Somewhat poor and somewhat excessive drainage classes serve as transitional zones between the extremes, creating gradual boundaries rather than sharp divisions between drainage types.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents a single thematic layer (drainage class) extracted from the comprehensive SSURGO soil database. Drainage class is one of many soil properties contained in SSURGO data and represents how quickly water moves through the soil profile. The drainage classification is fundamental for determining land suitability for various uses including agriculture, septic system placement, construction, wetland identification, and flood risk assessment. The linear patterns visible in central Florida correspond to ancient beach ridges and sand hills that formed during periods when sea levels were higher. Lake Okeechobee appears as a white area in south-central Florida and is not classified for soil drainage. The very poorly drained soils in southern Florida reflect the region's wetland ecosystems including the Everglades. This visualization focuses exclusively on the soil drainage thematic data; base map features such as roads and detailed boundaries are not emphasized.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

This data set is a digital soil survey representing the most detailed level of soil geographic data developed by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. The information was prepared by digitizing maps, by compiling information onto a planimetric correct base and digitizing, or by revising digitized maps using remotely sensed and other information. The data is maintained by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This data set replaces the SSOILS data in previous versions of FGDL.

Data source layer name: NRCS_SOILS_SEP25

Definition Query:

No definition query or filter criteria was specified; the map displays all drainage class categories available in the dataset.

Scale Information:

The map shows a statewide view appropriate for regional planning and analysis. SSURGO data is collected at scales that typically range from 1:12,000 to 1:63,360, making it suitable for detailed county and local-level applications, though this particular map presents a generalized statewide overview.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content:

The data was published or updated in September 2025 (indicated by SEP25 in the data source layer name). SSURGO data is periodically updated as new soil surveys are completed or existing surveys are revised.

Limitations:

SSURGO data represents soil conditions based on field surveys that may have been conducted over many years and decades. Drainage characteristics may have been altered by human activities such as ditching, tiling, land filling, or development since the original surveys were conducted. Urban areas and water bodies may have limited or no soil data. The statewide view necessarily generalizes fine-scale variations that would be visible at larger scales or in detailed county-level mapping.

Map Coverage:

The map covers the entire state of Florida and extends slightly beyond state boundaries to provide geographic context, showing portions of southern Georgia and Alabama. The map includes all of Florida's peninsula and panhandle regions from the Georgia-Alabama border in the north to the southern tip of the Florida Keys.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.