Soil series profile
Adams soil series
Adams is a somewhat excessively drained soil with a loamy sand surface, mapped on 805,389 acres in 48 counties across 7 states. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Somewhat excessively drained 93% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 96% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.8 very strongly acidic · range 4.0–5.2
- Mapped area
- 805k acres in 48 counties, 7 states
Typical Adams profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (Ap) | Loamy sand | 4.8 | 4% | 80% | 3.5% |
| 7–21 in (Bs) | Sand | 5.0 | 3% | 87% | 2% |
| 21–27 in (BC) | Sand | 5.2 | 2% | 90% | 1% |
| 27–65 in (C) | Sand | 5.5 | 1% | 96% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Adams soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Adams soils is very strongly acidic: pH 4.8 (most land between 4.0 and 5.2). 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.
Sandy topsoil covers 96% of mapped Adams acres. It drains fast and warms early in spring, but dries out and loses nutrients quickly: mulch, compost and steady watering help. The most common surface texture is loamy sand (61% of mapped Adams acres).
>99% of mapped Adams acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.
For lawns and yards
96% of mapped acres is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 96% of the acres in mapped Adams 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 Adams soil is found
Mapped acres
Adams is mapped in New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Michigan and Connecticut.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| St. Lawrence County, NY | 87,996 | 5.1% |
| Franklin County, NY | 67,139 | 6.4% |
| Lewis County, NY | 60,467 | 7.4% |
| York County, ME | 51,351 | 8.0% |
| Oxford County, ME | 47,481 | 3.7% |
| Somerset County, ME | 44,198 | 1.7% |
| Oneida County, NY | 34,536 | 4.5% |
| Androscoggin County, ME | 32,203 | 10.6% |
| Hamilton County, NY | 30,907 | 2.8% |
| Herkimer County, NY | 29,907 | 3.3% |
| Essex County, NY | 29,563 | 2.6% |
| Grafton County, NH | 27,945 | 3.7% |
| Washington County, ME | 24,415 | 1.5% |
| Franklin County, ME | 17,536 | 1.6% |
| Clinton County, NY | 17,242 | 2.6% |
| Lamoille County, VT | 15,370 | 5.2% |
| Hancock County, ME | 14,570 | 1.5% |
| Chittenden County, VT | 12,566 | 3.7% |
| Aroostook County, ME | 12,327 | 0.3% |
| Carroll County, NH | 12,262 | 2.8% |
| Penobscot County, ME | 11,533 | 0.5% |
| Orleans County, VT | 11,507 | 2.6% |
| Piscataquis County, ME | 9,925 | 0.4% |
| Fulton County, NY | 9,496 | 3.0% |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 8,721 | 1.6% |
| Coos County, NH | 8,453 | 0.9% |
| Caledonia County, VT | 8,089 | 1.9% |
| Washington County, VT | 6,735 | 1.5% |
| Merrimack County, NH | 6,562 | 1.1% |
| Oswego County, NY | 5,472 | 0.9% |
| Belknap County, NH | 4,471 | 1.7% |
| Cumberland County, ME | 4,345 | 0.8% |
| Windsor County, VT | 4,324 | 0.7% |
| Worcester County, MA | 4,320 | 0.4% |
| Essex County, VT | 3,864 | 0.9% |
| Addison County, VT | 3,688 | 0.8% |
| Sullivan County, NH | 3,519 | 1.0% |
| Sagadahoc County, ME | 3,432 | 2.1% |
| Cheshire County, NH | 3,293 | 0.7% |
| Mackinac County, MI | 3,101 | 0.5% |
| Waldo County, ME | 2,931 | 0.6% |
| Windham County, VT | 2,872 | 0.6% |
| Knox County, ME | 1,645 | 0.7% |
| Rutland County, VT | 1,333 | 0.2% |
| Lincoln County, ME | 1,124 | 0.4% |
| Franklin County, VT | 376 | 0.1% |
| Franklin County, MA | 276 | 0.1% |
| Litchfield County, CT | 0 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Adams acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 96.1% |
| Not rated | 3.9% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Adams acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 5.9 feet (71 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 4–30% (median 9%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 3%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 6.6% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 93.1% |
| Well drained | 0.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| 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) | 96.1% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.0% |
| 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 | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 3.9% |
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 Adams (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 805,389 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Adams components. The profile comes from the single largest Adams component. Full methodology.