King County Soil Descriptions

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) published its Soil Survey of King County in 1973. This document provides soils information which is useful for home building, engineering, forestry, agricultural, and many other purposes. The Survey covers King County outside of Seattle and portions of the eastern part of the county. Seattle is covered in an earlier 1938 survey. The eastern part of the county is covered in the 1989 Soil Survey of Snoqualmie Pass.

The 1938 Survey is out of print. The text from the 1973 Survey is out of print but copies of the maps are available. The complete 1989 Survey is available. Contact the NRCS/King Conservation District in Renton, WA (425) 282-1897 to make an appointment to use the out-of-print materials or obtain copies of the available materials. The out-of-print materials may also be available at through the King County library system.

The links in the table below will direct you to a brief description of King County soils in the 1973 Survey and provide some management information and limitations for their use. Official descriptions of the soil series are also obtainable.