Soil series profile
Dekalb soil series
Dekalb is a well drained soil with a channery sandy loam surface, mapped on 1,507,118 acres in 117 counties across 7 states. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 77% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 96% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.1 strongly acidic · range 4.6–5.1
- Mapped area
- 1.5M acres in 117 counties, 7 states
Typical Dekalb profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 in (Oa) | Highly decomposed plant material | 5.3 | Not reported | Not reported | 60% |
| 1–4 in (A1&2) | Channery sandy loam | 5.1 | 15% | 60% | 3% |
| 4–21 in (B1&2) | Channery sandy loam | 4.6 | 15% | 60% | 1.68% |
| 21–31 in (B3) | Very channery sandy loam | 4.6 | 10% | 65% | 0.6% |
| 31–35 in (R) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Dekalb soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Dekalb soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.1 (most land between 4.6 and 5.1). 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 98% of mapped Dekalb acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is channery sandy loam (34% of mapped Dekalb acres).
99% of mapped Dekalb acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
96% of mapped acres is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 99% of the acres in mapped Dekalb soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (1% 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 Dekalb soil is found
Mapped acres
Dekalb is mapped in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Kentucky and New York. The 60 counties with the most Dekalb acres:
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Lycoming County, PA | 99,219 | 12.7% |
| Kanawha County, WV | 83,218 | 18.0% |
| Garrett County, MD | 59,913 | 13.3% |
| Wayne County, WV | 51,747 | 20.9% |
| Tucker County, WV | 50,086 | 21.9% |
| Randolph County, WV | 49,255 | 9.4% |
| Schuylkill County, PA | 48,330 | 9.9% |
| Pendleton County, WV | 47,078 | 13.8% |
| Monroe County, WV | 46,475 | 16.7% |
| Preston County, WV | 45,835 | 13.5% |
| Greenbrier County, WV | 31,444 | 5.9% |
| Dauphin County, PA | 30,397 | 9.6% |
| Barbour County, WV | 29,182 | 16.5% |
| Carbon County, PA | 27,372 | 11.4% |
| Columbia County, PA | 25,669 | 8.4% |
| Bath County, VA | 25,427 | 8.7% |
| Hardy County, WV | 25,241 | 8.4% |
| Alleghany County, VA | 24,305 | 10.0% |
| Hampshire County, WV | 23,325 | 6.6% |
| Athens County, OH | 23,298 | 7.2% |
| Rockingham County, VA | 21,383 | 4.8% |
| Franklin County, PA | 20,193 | 4.1% |
| Monongalia County, WV | 19,268 | 10.2% |
| Centre County, PA | 18,148 | 2.6% |
| Huntingdon County, PA | 17,892 | 3.3% |
| Guernsey County, OH | 17,810 | 5.3% |
| Harrison County, OH | 17,332 | 6.8% |
| Pocahontas County, WV | 17,180 | 3.5% |
| Grant County, WV | 16,758 | 6.9% |
| Hocking County, OH | 16,718 | 6.2% |
| Washington County, OH | 16,199 | 4.0% |
| Mifflin County, PA | 15,825 | 6.1% |
| Botetourt County, VA | 15,504 | 6.6% |
| Belmont County, OH | 14,326 | 4.2% |
| Roanoke County, VA | 14,052 | 11.4% |
| Luzerne County, PA | 13,258 | 2.3% |
| Rockbridge County, VA | 12,984 | 4.1% |
| Allegany County, MD | 12,600 | 4.7% |
| Bland County, VA | 12,575 | 9.0% |
| Union County, PA | 11,988 | 5.9% |
| Caldwell County, KY | 11,586 | 5.2% |
| Northumberland County, PA | 11,145 | 3.8% |
| Tioga County, PA | 11,069 | 1.5% |
| Monroe County, PA | 10,230 | 2.6% |
| Fulton County, PA | 9,447 | 3.4% |
| Page County, VA | 9,345 | 5.5% |
| Perry County, OH | 8,939 | 3.4% |
| Juniata County, PA | 8,466 | 3.4% |
| Clearfield County, PA | 8,352 | 1.2% |
| Highland County, VA | 8,163 | 3.6% |
| Mercer County, WV | 7,411 | 3.4% |
| Perry County, PA | 7,167 | 2.1% |
| Mineral County, WV | 6,826 | 3.8% |
| Washington County, MD | 6,723 | 2.3% |
| Fayette County, PA | 6,606 | 1.3% |
| Washington County, VA | 6,375 | 2.3% |
| Stark County, OH | 6,310 | 1.7% |
| Berkeley County, WV | 6,102 | 3.5% |
| Westmoreland County, PA | 6,042 | 0.9% |
| Summers County, WV | 5,846 | 3.1% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Dekalb acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 98.9% |
| Not rated | 1.1% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Dekalb 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 11–55% (median 45%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 3%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 14.3% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 7.8% |
| Well drained | 76.9% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 1.0% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 96.1% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 2.6% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.4% |
| 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 | 0.9% |
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 Dekalb (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 1,507,118 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Dekalb components. The profile comes from the single largest Dekalb component. Full methodology.