Soil series profile
Arnot soil series
Arnot is a somewhat excessively drained soil with a channery silt loam surface, mapped on 604,623 acres in 46 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Somewhat excessively drained 84% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D >99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · range 5.3–5.3
- Mapped area
- 605k acres in 46 counties, 3 states
Typical Arnot profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 in (Oe) | Moderately decomposed plant material | 4.8 | Not reported | Not reported | 80% |
| 1–3 in (A) | Channery silt loam | 5.3 | 14% | 30% | 11% |
| 3–12 in (Bw1) | Very channery silt loam | 5.0 | 12% | 34% | 3% |
| 12–17 in (Bw2) | Very channery silt loam | 5.1 | 14% | 34% | 1.5% |
| 17–27 in (2R) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Arnot soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Arnot soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.3. 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 >99% of mapped Arnot acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is channery silt loam (50% of mapped Arnot acres).
84% of mapped Arnot acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.
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 >99% of the acres in mapped Arnot soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
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 Arnot soil is found
Mapped acres
Arnot is mapped in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Ulster County, NY | 101,617 | 14.1% |
| Steuben County, NY | 62,863 | 7.1% |
| Sullivan County, NY | 51,678 | 8.4% |
| Wayne County, PA | 33,630 | 7.2% |
| Chemung County, NY | 25,100 | 9.6% |
| Tioga County, PA | 24,717 | 3.4% |
| Greene County, NY | 24,023 | 5.8% |
| Luzerne County, PA | 23,500 | 4.1% |
| Pike County, PA | 21,345 | 6.1% |
| Lycoming County, PA | 19,094 | 2.4% |
| Lackawanna County, PA | 18,596 | 6.4% |
| Bradford County, PA | 18,443 | 2.5% |
| Wyoming County, PA | 16,729 | 6.6% |
| Sullivan County, PA | 14,113 | 4.9% |
| Albany County, NY | 13,803 | 4.1% |
| Susquehanna County, PA | 13,237 | 2.5% |
| Orange County, NY | 12,463 | 2.4% |
| Schoharie County, NY | 12,107 | 3.1% |
| Delaware County, NY | 11,871 | 1.3% |
| Chenango County, NY | 9,764 | 1.7% |
| Sussex County, NJ | 9,192 | 2.8% |
| Otsego County, NY | 8,556 | 1.3% |
| Madison County, NY | 6,298 | 1.5% |
| Tioga County, NY | 5,953 | 1.8% |
| Schuyler County, NY | 5,647 | 2.7% |
| Broome County, NY | 4,665 | 1.0% |
| Monroe County, PA | 3,885 | 1.0% |
| Livingston County, NY | 3,278 | 0.8% |
| Warren County, NJ | 3,231 | 1.4% |
| Montgomery County, NY | 3,225 | 1.2% |
| Cortland County, NY | 3,092 | 1.0% |
| Onondaga County, NY | 3,090 | 0.6% |
| Yates County, NY | 3,012 | 1.4% |
| Ontario County, NY | 2,964 | 0.7% |
| Tompkins County, NY | 1,707 | 0.6% |
| Northampton County, PA | 1,583 | 0.7% |
| Wyoming County, NY | 1,420 | 0.4% |
| Cayuga County, NY | 1,168 | 0.3% |
| Schenectady County, NY | 1,069 | 0.8% |
| Oneida County, NY | 893 | 0.1% |
| Columbia County, PA | 893 | 0.3% |
| Allegany County, NY | 506 | 0.1% |
| Mercer County, PA | 254 | 0.1% |
| Carbon County, PA | 154 | 0.1% |
| Potter County, PA | 100 | 0.0% |
| Seneca County, NY | 90 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Arnot acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 99.8% |
| Not rated | 0.2% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Arnot 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 5–45% (median 20%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 11%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 83.5% |
| Well drained | 16.4% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
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 | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 99.8% |
| 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 | 0.2% |
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 Arnot (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 604,623 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Arnot components. The profile comes from the single largest Arnot component. Full methodology.