Soil series profile
Hollis soil series
Hollis is a somewhat excessively drained soil with a loam surface, mapped on 465,304 acres in 45 counties across 6 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Somewhat excessively drained 80% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 98% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.2 strongly acidic · range 4.2–5.5
- Mapped area
- 465k acres in 45 counties, 6 states
Typical Hollis profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 in (H1) | Loam | 5.3 | 17% | 43% | 3.5% |
| 4–19 in (H2) | Fine sandy loam | 5.3 | 10% | 69% | 1% |
| 19–23 in (H3) | Unweathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Hollis soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Hollis soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.2 (most land between 4.2 and 5.5). 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 90% of mapped Hollis acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is gravelly fine sandy loam (60% of mapped Hollis acres).
80% of mapped Hollis acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.
For lawns and yards
On 98% 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 98% of the acres in mapped Hollis soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (2% 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 Hollis soil is found
Mapped acres
Hollis is mapped in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Maine.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Washington County, NY | 48,128 | 9.0% |
| Orange County, NY | 34,980 | 6.7% |
| Rockingham County, NH | 32,234 | 7.2% |
| Litchfield County, CT | 26,497 | 4.5% |
| Worcester County, MA | 24,217 | 2.5% |
| Franklin County, MA | 24,096 | 5.4% |
| Dutchess County, NY | 22,811 | 4.5% |
| Fairfield County, CT | 21,388 | 5.2% |
| Strafford County, NH | 21,305 | 8.9% |
| Middlesex County, MA | 19,518 | 3.7% |
| Sussex County, NJ | 16,550 | 5.0% |
| New London County, CT | 16,290 | 3.7% |
| Putnam County, NY | 14,370 | 9.8% |
| Hampden County, MA | 12,829 | 3.3% |
| Westchester County, NY | 12,756 | 4.8% |
| Essex County, MA | 12,119 | 3.8% |
| Merrimack County, NH | 10,784 | 1.8% |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 10,625 | 1.9% |
| New Haven County, CT | 9,102 | 2.3% |
| Hampshire County, MA | 8,849 | 2.5% |
| Hartford County, CT | 7,964 | 1.7% |
| Middlesex County, CT | 6,692 | 2.8% |
| Norfolk County, MA | 6,565 | 4.7% |
| Suffolk County, MA | 6,565 | 4.7% |
| Jefferson County, NY | 5,881 | 0.7% |
| Tolland County, CT | 4,761 | 1.8% |
| Essex County, NY | 4,313 | 0.4% |
| Lewis County, NY | 3,548 | 0.4% |
| Kennebec County, ME | 3,337 | 0.6% |
| Warren County, NJ | 3,288 | 1.4% |
| Windham County, CT | 3,140 | 1.0% |
| Saratoga County, NY | 2,788 | 0.5% |
| Rockland County, NY | 2,195 | 2.0% |
| Fulton County, NY | 1,141 | 0.4% |
| Androscoggin County, ME | 1,109 | 0.4% |
| Cumberland County, ME | 722 | 0.1% |
| Plymouth County, MA | 466 | 0.1% |
| Montgomery County, NY | 299 | 0.1% |
| Bronx County, NY | 243 | 0.9% |
| Belknap County, NH | 242 | 0.1% |
| Sagadahoc County, ME | 225 | 0.1% |
| New York County, NY | 153 | 1.1% |
| Passaic County, NJ | 88 | 0.1% |
| Morris County, NJ | 76 | 0.0% |
| Bristol County, MA | 50 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Hollis acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 98.3% |
| Not rated | 1.7% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Hollis 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 9–35% (median 20%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 6%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 80.3% |
| Well drained | 19.4% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.3% |
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 | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 98.3% |
| 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 | 1.7% |
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 Hollis (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 465,304 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Hollis components. The profile comes from the single largest Hollis component. Full methodology.