Soil series profile
Lickskillet soil series
Lickskillet is a well drained soil with a very stony loam surface, mapped on 688,309 acres in 25 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D 94% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.7 neutral · range 6.7–7.2
- Mapped area
- 688k acres in 25 counties, 3 states
Typical Lickskillet profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 in (H1) | Very stony loam | 6.7 | 20% | 42% | 1.5% |
| 2–17 in (H2) | Extremely cobbly loam | 7.5 | 26% | 37% | 0.75% |
| 17–27 in (H3) | Unweathered bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Lickskillet soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Lickskillet soils is neutral: pH 6.7 (most land between 6.7 and 7.2), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 99% of mapped Lickskillet acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is very stony loam (43% of mapped Lickskillet acres).
99% of mapped Lickskillet 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 Lickskillet 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 Lickskillet soil is found
Mapped acres
Lickskillet is mapped in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Wasco County, OR | 115,527 | 9.7% |
| Gilliam County, OR | 102,293 | 13.3% |
| Morrow County, OR | 70,211 | 6.4% |
| Sherman County, OR | 53,633 | 11.8% |
| Wheeler County, OR | 43,720 | 4.4% |
| Garfield County, WA | 41,512 | 5.9% |
| Umatilla County, OR | 38,658 | 2.3% |
| Jefferson County, OR | 35,113 | 3.5% |
| Yakima County, WA | 29,194 | 1.5% |
| Grant County, WA | 16,947 | 1.0% |
| Asotin County, WA | 16,213 | 4.4% |
| Douglas County, WA | 12,217 | 1.0% |
| Klickitat County, WA | 10,749 | 1.0% |
| Benton County, WA | 8,762 | 0.8% |
| Baker County, OR | 8,626 | 0.5% |
| Nez Perce County, ID | 8,005 | 1.7% |
| Franklin County, WA | 7,549 | 1.0% |
| Deschutes County, OR | 7,238 | 0.4% |
| Gem County, ID | 7,222 | 2.5% |
| Malheur County, OR | 6,377 | 0.1% |
| Idaho County, ID | 6,285 | 0.2% |
| Wallowa County, OR | 5,868 | 0.4% |
| Walla Walla County, WA | 5,377 | 0.7% |
| Grant County, OR | 1,560 | 0.1% |
| Crook County, OR | 790 | 3.4% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Lickskillet acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 98.8% |
| Not rated | 1.2% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Lickskillet 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 18–55% (median 30%).
- 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 | 98.8% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 1.2% |
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 | 5.3% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 93.5% |
| 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 | 1.2% |
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 Lickskillet (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 688,309 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Lickskillet components. The profile comes from the single largest Lickskillet component. Full methodology.