Soil series profile
Bath soil series
Bath is a well drained soil with a channery silt loam surface, mapped on 426,505 acres in 36 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.8 moderately acidic · range 5.3–5.8
- Mapped area
- 427k acres in 36 counties, 2 states
Typical Bath profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–9 in (Ap) | Channery silt loam | 5.8 | 12% | 33% | 5% |
| 9–15 in (Bw1) | Channery silt loam | 5.3 | 12% | 31% | 1.5% |
| 15–25 in (Bw2) | Channery loam | 5.8 | 12% | 42% | 1% |
| 25–29 in (E) | Channery loam | 5.8 | 10% | 42% | 1% |
| 29–52 in (Bx) | Very channery silt loam | 5.8 | 16% | 34% | 0.5% |
| 52–72 in (C) | Very channery silt loam | 5.8 | 14% | 34% | 0.5% |
What this means
What Bath soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Bath soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.8 (most land between 5.3 and 5.8). Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Bath acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is channery silt loam (87% of mapped Bath acres).
100% of mapped Bath acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Bath 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 Bath soil is found
Mapped acres
Bath is mapped in New York and Pennsylvania.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Steuben County, NY | 40,095 | 4.5% |
| Otsego County, NY | 37,215 | 5.8% |
| Ulster County, NY | 35,545 | 4.9% |
| Broome County, NY | 34,571 | 7.7% |
| Wyoming County, NY | 29,748 | 7.9% |
| Delaware County, NY | 29,657 | 3.2% |
| Susquehanna County, PA | 29,300 | 5.6% |
| Chenango County, NY | 25,223 | 4.4% |
| Tompkins County, NY | 25,031 | 8.2% |
| Orange County, NY | 21,730 | 4.2% |
| Madison County, NY | 21,428 | 5.1% |
| Tioga County, PA | 17,553 | 2.4% |
| Wyoming County, PA | 14,632 | 5.8% |
| Cortland County, NY | 11,735 | 3.7% |
| Lackawanna County, PA | 10,255 | 3.5% |
| Schuyler County, NY | 7,021 | 3.4% |
| Monroe County, PA | 6,834 | 1.8% |
| Tioga County, NY | 5,648 | 1.7% |
| Luzerne County, PA | 5,162 | 0.9% |
| Schoharie County, NY | 3,772 | 1.0% |
| Bradford County, PA | 2,861 | 0.4% |
| Cattaraugus County, NY | 2,396 | 0.3% |
| Allegany County, NY | 1,949 | 0.3% |
| Erie County, NY | 1,735 | 0.3% |
| Chemung County, NY | 1,357 | 0.5% |
| Columbia County, PA | 900 | 0.3% |
| Livingston County, NY | 810 | 0.2% |
| Yates County, NY | 734 | 0.3% |
| Potter County, PA | 429 | 0.1% |
| Onondaga County, NY | 334 | 0.1% |
| Greene County, NY | 321 | 0.1% |
| Ontario County, NY | 276 | 0.1% |
| Chautauqua County, NY | 163 | 0.0% |
| Sullivan County, NY | 66 | 0.0% |
| Carbon County, PA | 14 | 0.0% |
| Sullivan County, PA | 4 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Bath acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 100.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Bath acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.2 feet (26 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 6–33% (median 20%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 100.0% |
| 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 | 100.0% |
| 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% |
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 Bath (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 426,505 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Bath components. The profile comes from the single largest Bath component. Full methodology.