Soil series profile
Berkshire soil series
Berkshire is a well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 699,449 acres in 47 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 92% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.6 very strongly acidic · range 4.6–5.2
- Mapped area
- 699k acres in 47 counties, 5 states
Typical Berkshire profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 in (Oi) | Slightly decomposed plant material | 3.5 | Not reported | Not reported | 85% |
| 2–4 in (A) | Fine sandy loam | 4.6 | 2% | 62% | 10.8% |
| 4–5 in (E) | Fine sandy loam | 4.8 | 2% | 62% | 2.3% |
| 5–7 in (Bs1) | Fine sandy loam | 5.0 | 2% | 62% | 4.9% |
| 7–13 in (Bs2) | Fine sandy loam | 5.4 | 2% | 62% | 4% |
| 13–21 in (Bs3) | Fine sandy loam | 5.4 | 2% | 62% | 1.6% |
| 21–28 in (BC1) | Fine sandy loam | 5.4 | 2% | 62% | 1.5% |
| 28–33 in (BC2) | Fine sandy loam | 5.6 | 2% | 62% | 1% |
| 33–65 in (C) | Fine sandy loam | 5.6 | 2% | 62% | 0.2% |
What this means
What Berkshire soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Berkshire soils is very strongly acidic: pH 4.6 (most land between 4.6 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.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 91% of mapped Berkshire acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (80% of mapped Berkshire acres).
100% of mapped Berkshire acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 64% of the acres in mapped Berkshire soils very limited, 33% 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 Berkshire soil is found
Mapped acres
Berkshire is mapped in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New York and Massachusetts.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Somerset County, ME | 66,655 | 2.6% |
| Addison County, VT | 60,106 | 12.3% |
| Cheshire County, NH | 46,942 | 10.4% |
| St. Lawrence County, NY | 44,867 | 2.6% |
| Carroll County, NH | 44,702 | 10.1% |
| Windsor County, VT | 44,276 | 7.1% |
| Berkshire County, MA | 41,986 | 6.9% |
| Rutland County, VT | 36,469 | 6.1% |
| Lamoille County, VT | 35,865 | 12.2% |
| Saratoga County, NY | 35,610 | 6.9% |
| Grafton County, NH | 31,548 | 4.2% |
| Coos County, NH | 30,950 | 3.4% |
| Bennington County, VT | 28,737 | 6.7% |
| Windham County, VT | 22,793 | 4.5% |
| Washington County, VT | 22,258 | 5.1% |
| Franklin County, ME | 20,484 | 1.9% |
| Worcester County, MA | 17,191 | 1.8% |
| Kennebec County, ME | 15,861 | 2.9% |
| Hampshire County, MA | 6,171 | 1.8% |
| Piscataquis County, ME | 5,791 | 0.2% |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 5,153 | 0.9% |
| Orleans County, VT | 4,711 | 1.1% |
| Hampden County, MA | 4,519 | 1.2% |
| Caledonia County, VT | 4,015 | 1.0% |
| Oneida County, NY | 3,436 | 0.4% |
| Oxford County, ME | 2,957 | 0.2% |
| Sullivan County, NH | 2,749 | 0.8% |
| Essex County, VT | 2,234 | 0.5% |
| Cumberland County, ME | 1,648 | 0.3% |
| Franklin County, MA | 1,530 | 0.3% |
| Fulton County, NY | 1,208 | 0.4% |
| Knox County, ME | 1,007 | 0.4% |
| Merrimack County, NH | 867 | 0.1% |
| Waldo County, ME | 792 | 0.2% |
| Lincoln County, ME | 676 | 0.2% |
| Belknap County, NH | 554 | 0.2% |
| Hancock County, ME | 547 | 0.1% |
| Chittenden County, VT | 526 | 0.2% |
| Washington County, ME | 402 | 0.0% |
| Penobscot County, ME | 255 | 0.0% |
| Herkimer County, NY | 114 | 0.0% |
| Aroostook County, ME | 106 | 0.0% |
| Franklin County, NY | 85 | 0.0% |
| York County, ME | 55 | 0.0% |
| Androscoggin County, ME | 35 | 0.0% |
| Lewis County, NY | 4 | 0.0% |
| Sagadahoc County, ME | 1 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Berkshire acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 33.2% |
| Very limited | 63.9% |
| Not rated | 2.9% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Berkshire 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 9–40% (median 20%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 10.8%.
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) | 1.3% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 91.6% |
| C: slow infiltration | 4.2% |
| 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 | 0.0% |
| 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 Berkshire (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 699,449 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Berkshire components. The profile comes from the single largest Berkshire component. Full methodology.