Subsurface redistribution of soil water can have a profound influence on crop productivity as well as water quality, however, substantial uncertainty exists in the determination of hydrologic impacts at scales in excess of small plots. Field-scale mapping of near-surface hydropedologic features using time-domain reflectometry (TDR) and bulk electrical conductivity (EC) surveys provide key insights for site-specific management of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in landformed settings by resolving each field's unique drainage imprint. The complex interplay of intrinsic field properties (i.e., differences in soil texture, structure, infiltrability, fertility, horizon permeability and drainage), weather, pest pressures, and agricultural practices control interannual variations in crop response (typically monitored using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) imagery). Comparison of TDR and Veris datasets (conducted on a 2.33-ha (5.76-acre) field with high contrast soils), with soil sampling results, two years of yield data, and five years of NDVI imagery (taken at or near peak bloom) have facilitated the identification of gradations in management zone stability influenced by drainage characteristics. Multiple stepwise linear regressions revealed that shallow, bulk EC (0-0.30m Veris dataset) explained 40% of the seed cotton yield variability in 2001 and 62% in 2003. A TDR survey (0-0.12m) accounted for 43% of the yield variability in 2001 and 59% in 2003. Shallow, bulk EC explained 72%-82% of the variability displayed in a series of NDVI images over a five-year period (2001-2005); whereas, the robustness of the TDR survey ranged from explaining 63%-74% of the variability in the NDVI images (2001-2005).