Soil series profile
Hambrook soil series
Hambrook is a well drained soil with a sandy loam surface, mapped on 138,588 acres in 29 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 97% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 94% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.0 moderately acidic · range 6.0–6.0
- Mapped area
- 139k acres in 29 counties, 4 states
Typical Hambrook profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–10 in (Ap) | Sandy loam | 6.0 | 9% | 60% | 1.5% |
| 10–14 in (BE) | Loam | 6.5 | 18% | 47% | 0.25% |
| 14–28 in (Bt) | Sandy clay loam | 5.5 | 26% | 51% | 0.15% |
| 28–65 in (BC) | Loamy sand | 5.0 | 8% | 87% | 0.1% |
| 65–80 in (2Cg) | Silt loam | 4.5 | 18% | 29% | 0.1% |
What this means
What Hambrook soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Hambrook soils is moderately acidic: pH 6.0. 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 96% of mapped Hambrook acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (89% of mapped Hambrook acres).
97% of mapped Hambrook 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 96% of the acres in mapped Hambrook soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (4% 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 Hambrook soil is found
Mapped acres
Hambrook is mapped in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and District of Columbia.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Caroline County, MD | 39,177 | 19.2% |
| Kent County, DE | 26,908 | 7.5% |
| Talbot County, MD | 17,422 | 10.5% |
| Sussex County, DE | 10,767 | 2.1% |
| Worcester County, MD | 10,321 | 2.9% |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 5,943 | 2.1% |
| Cecil County, MD | 5,689 | 2.8% |
| Wicomico County, MD | 3,919 | 1.6% |
| New Castle County, DE | 2,847 | 1.1% |
| Dorchester County, MD | 2,723 | 0.8% |
| Calvert County, MD | 2,136 | 1.6% |
| Harford County, MD | 1,926 | 0.7% |
| Prince George's County, MD | 1,556 | 0.5% |
| Kent County, MD | 1,035 | 0.6% |
| Cumberland County, NJ | 1,025 | 0.3% |
| Baltimore County, MD | 848 | 0.2% |
| Somerset County, MD | 810 | 0.7% |
| Middlesex County, NJ | 717 | 0.4% |
| St. Mary's County, MD | 615 | 0.3% |
| Gloucester County, NJ | 511 | 0.2% |
| Salem County, NJ | 450 | 0.2% |
| Charles County, MD | 325 | 0.1% |
| Monmouth County, NJ | 265 | 0.1% |
| Atlantic County, NJ | 203 | 0.1% |
| Howard County, MD | 154 | 0.1% |
| Mercer County, NJ | 116 | 0.1% |
| Camden County, NJ | 112 | 0.1% |
| Queen Anne's County, MD | 60 | 0.0% |
| District of Columbia, DC | 12 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Hambrook acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 96.2% |
| Not rated | 3.8% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Hambrook acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 3.6 feet (43 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 1–3% (median 3%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 96.6% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 3.4% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 93.7% |
| C: slow infiltration | 2.8% |
| 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 | 3.5% |
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 Hambrook (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 138,588 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Hambrook components. The profile comes from the single largest Hambrook component. Full methodology.