Soil series profile
Becket soil series
Becket is a well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 976,935 acres in 34 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 96% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.2 extremely acidic · range 4.2–4.6
- Mapped area
- 977k acres in 34 counties, 5 states
Typical Becket 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 | 4.9 | Not reported | 30% | 70% |
| 1–4 in (E) | Fine sandy loam | 4.2 | 4% | 61% | 3% |
| 4–6 in (Bhs1) | Fine sandy loam | 4.0 | 4% | 61% | 9% |
| 6–10 in (Bhs2) | Fine sandy loam | 4.6 | 4% | 61% | 9% |
| 10–16 in (Bs1) | Fine sandy loam | 4.8 | 4% | 61% | 6.5% |
| 16–20 in (Bs2) | Gravelly fine sandy loam | 5.0 | 4% | 61% | 6.5% |
| 20–33 in (BC) | Sandy loam | 5.0 | 4% | 67% | 2% |
| 33–79 in (Cd) | Gravelly loamy sand | 5.2 | 2% | 78% | 0.5% |
What this means
What Becket soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Becket soils is extremely acidic: pH 4.2 (most land between 4.2 and 4.6). 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 97% of mapped Becket acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (96% of mapped Becket acres).
>99% of mapped Becket acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 97% 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 80% of the acres in mapped Becket soils very limited, 17% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (3% 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 Becket soil is found
Mapped acres
Becket is mapped in New York, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County, NY | 163,707 | 14.9% |
| Essex County, NY | 126,561 | 11.0% |
| Franklin County, NY | 114,210 | 10.9% |
| Herkimer County, NY | 74,561 | 8.2% |
| Grafton County, NH | 63,191 | 8.4% |
| Oxford County, ME | 53,156 | 4.2% |
| Clinton County, NY | 36,500 | 5.5% |
| Saratoga County, NY | 35,278 | 6.9% |
| Merrimack County, NH | 34,227 | 5.7% |
| Carroll County, NH | 31,463 | 7.1% |
| Fulton County, NY | 30,116 | 9.5% |
| Worcester County, MA | 27,103 | 2.8% |
| Belknap County, NH | 25,305 | 9.8% |
| Lewis County, NY | 23,050 | 2.8% |
| York County, ME | 22,640 | 3.5% |
| Coos County, NH | 21,078 | 2.3% |
| Windsor County, VT | 19,980 | 3.2% |
| Washington County, ME | 13,101 | 0.8% |
| Piscataquis County, ME | 11,816 | 0.5% |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 9,295 | 1.7% |
| St. Lawrence County, NY | 8,241 | 0.5% |
| Cheshire County, NH | 7,810 | 1.7% |
| Cumberland County, ME | 6,872 | 1.2% |
| Hancock County, ME | 5,082 | 0.5% |
| Oneida County, NY | 4,131 | 0.5% |
| Franklin County, ME | 2,379 | 0.2% |
| Penobscot County, ME | 1,740 | 0.1% |
| Sullivan County, NH | 1,496 | 0.4% |
| Somerset County, ME | 1,288 | 0.1% |
| Windham County, VT | 760 | 0.2% |
| Caledonia County, VT | 434 | 0.1% |
| Bennington County, VT | 183 | 0.0% |
| Orleans County, VT | 173 | 0.0% |
| Franklin County, MA | 8 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Becket acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 16.8% |
| Very limited | 80.3% |
| Not rated | 2.9% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Becket acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.5 feet (30 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 8–25% (median 12%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 3%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 99.4% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.6% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.7% |
| C: slow infiltration | 96.2% |
| 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 | 0.3% |
| Not rated | 2.9% |
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 Becket (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 976,935 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Becket components. The profile comes from the single largest Becket component. Full methodology.