Soil series profile
Lackawanna soil series
Lackawanna is a well drained soil with a flaggy silt loam surface, mapped on 361,355 acres in 25 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C >99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · range 5.3–5.3
- Mapped area
- 361k acres in 25 counties, 3 states
Typical Lackawanna profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 in (A) | Flaggy silt loam | 5.3 | 15% | 32% | 10% |
| 4–17 in (Bw1) | Flaggy silt loam | 5.1 | 15% | 34% | 1.5% |
| 17–26 in (Bw2) | Flaggy loam | 4.9 | 14% | 41% | 1% |
| 26–60 in (Bx) | Flaggy loam | 5.0 | 15% | 43% | 0.5% |
| 60–72 in (C) | Very flaggy loam | 5.3 | 13% | 49% | 0.5% |
What this means
What Lackawanna soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Lackawanna soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.3. 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 >99% of mapped Lackawanna acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is channery loam (36% of mapped Lackawanna acres).
100% of mapped Lackawanna acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On >99% 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 >99% of the acres in mapped Lackawanna soils very limited, <1% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
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 Lackawanna soil is found
Mapped acres
Lackawanna is mapped in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware County, NY | 61,392 | 6.6% |
| Luzerne County, PA | 41,561 | 7.2% |
| Monroe County, PA | 36,971 | 9.5% |
| Ulster County, NY | 29,701 | 4.1% |
| Sullivan County, NY | 27,271 | 4.4% |
| Susquehanna County, PA | 22,885 | 4.4% |
| Wyoming County, PA | 19,950 | 7.9% |
| Lycoming County, PA | 15,468 | 2.0% |
| Pike County, PA | 14,323 | 4.1% |
| Broome County, NY | 11,857 | 2.6% |
| Chenango County, NY | 11,480 | 2.0% |
| Lackawanna County, PA | 10,986 | 3.8% |
| Otsego County, NY | 10,452 | 1.6% |
| Wayne County, PA | 7,955 | 1.7% |
| Greene County, NY | 7,311 | 1.8% |
| Columbia County, PA | 6,192 | 2.0% |
| Albany County, NY | 5,123 | 1.5% |
| Schoharie County, NY | 4,025 | 1.0% |
| Tioga County, PA | 3,450 | 0.5% |
| Steuben County, NY | 3,121 | 0.4% |
| Sullivan County, PA | 2,644 | 0.9% |
| Warren County, NJ | 2,421 | 1.1% |
| Bradford County, PA | 2,308 | 0.3% |
| Sussex County, NJ | 1,502 | 0.5% |
| Potter County, PA | 1,007 | 0.1% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Lackawanna acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.3% |
| Very limited | 99.6% |
| Not rated | 0.2% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Lackawanna acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.0 feet (24 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 6–30% (median 17%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 10%.
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) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 99.8% |
| 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 | 0.2% |
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 Lackawanna (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 361,355 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Lackawanna components. The profile comes from the single largest Lackawanna component. Full methodology.