Soil series profile
Brecksville soil series
Brecksville is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 13,925 acres in 14 counties in OH. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 95% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.6 very strongly acidic · range 4.6–4.6
- Mapped area
- 14k acres in 14 counties, 1 state
Typical Brecksville profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–14 in (H1) | Silt loam | 4.6 | 21% | 26% | 2.5% |
| 14–30 in (H2) | Silty clay loam | 4.6 | 31% | 20% | 0.75% |
| 30–35 in (H3) | Weathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Brecksville soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Brecksville soils is very strongly acidic: pH 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 Brecksville acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (97% of mapped Brecksville acres).
>99% of mapped Brecksville 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 97% of the acres in mapped Brecksville soils very limited, 0% 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 Brecksville soil is found
Mapped acres
Brecksville is mapped in Ohio.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Cuyahoga County, OH | 8,057 | 2.7% |
| Geauga County, OH | 1,324 | 0.5% |
| Summit County, OH | 967 | 0.4% |
| Medina County, OH | 787 | 0.3% |
| Lake County, OH | 573 | 0.4% |
| Lorain County, OH | 470 | 0.1% |
| Trumbull County, OH | 457 | 0.1% |
| Delaware County, OH | 323 | 0.1% |
| Portage County, OH | 311 | 0.1% |
| Huron County, OH | 256 | 0.1% |
| Erie County, OH | 244 | 0.1% |
| Mahoning County, OH | 131 | 0.0% |
| Ashland County, OH | 23 | 0.0% |
| Franklin County, OH | 1 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Brecksville acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 96.8% |
| Not rated | 3.2% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Brecksville 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 30–48% (median 48%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 99.9% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.1% |
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 | 2.3% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 94.5% |
| 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 | 3.2% |
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 Brecksville (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 13,925 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Brecksville components. The profile comes from the single largest Brecksville component. Full methodology.