Soil series profile
Marlow soil series
Marlow is a well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 966,438 acres in 40 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 97% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.8 very strongly acidic · range 4.8–4.8
- Mapped area
- 966k acres in 40 counties, 5 states
Typical Marlow profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 in (Oi) | Slightly decomposed plant material | 3.5 | Not reported | Not reported | 85% |
| 2–5 in (A) | Fine sandy loam | 4.8 | 5% | 57% | 13% |
| 5–8 in (E) | Fine sandy loam | 5.0 | 4% | 57% | 2% |
| 8–15 in (Bs1) | Fine sandy loam | 5.2 | 5% | 57% | 8% |
| 15–19 in (Bs2) | Fine sandy loam | 5.2 | 5% | 57% | 3% |
| 19–33 in (BC) | Gravelly fine sandy loam | 5.2 | 5% | 57% | 1% |
| 33–65 in (Cd) | Fine sandy loam | 5.2 | 6% | 57% | 0.5% |
What this means
What Marlow soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Marlow soils is very strongly acidic: pH 4.8. 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 97% of mapped Marlow acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (96% of mapped Marlow acres).
100% of mapped Marlow 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 55% of the acres in mapped Marlow soils very limited, 44% 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 Marlow soil is found
Mapped acres
Marlow is mapped in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and New York.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Franklin County, ME | 109,176 | 10.0% |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 61,366 | 11.0% |
| Hancock County, ME | 59,562 | 6.0% |
| Grafton County, NH | 52,706 | 7.0% |
| Cheshire County, NH | 51,344 | 11.4% |
| Coos County, NH | 49,776 | 5.4% |
| Warren County, NY | 45,775 | 8.2% |
| Waldo County, ME | 44,500 | 9.5% |
| Sullivan County, NH | 44,041 | 12.8% |
| Addison County, VT | 40,110 | 8.2% |
| Somerset County, ME | 36,243 | 1.4% |
| Chittenden County, VT | 34,287 | 10.0% |
| Berkshire County, MA | 31,483 | 5.2% |
| Windham County, VT | 27,866 | 5.5% |
| Oxford County, ME | 26,923 | 2.1% |
| Washington County, ME | 26,465 | 1.7% |
| Piscataquis County, ME | 25,494 | 1.0% |
| Carroll County, NH | 25,213 | 5.7% |
| Lamoille County, VT | 24,843 | 8.5% |
| Windsor County, VT | 23,432 | 3.8% |
| Rutland County, VT | 19,569 | 3.3% |
| Worcester County, MA | 17,252 | 1.8% |
| Merrimack County, NH | 14,493 | 2.4% |
| Knox County, ME | 13,053 | 5.5% |
| Lincoln County, ME | 12,358 | 4.3% |
| Hampshire County, MA | 9,594 | 2.7% |
| Belknap County, NH | 8,511 | 3.3% |
| Hampden County, MA | 7,739 | 2.0% |
| York County, ME | 5,570 | 0.9% |
| Franklin County, MA | 3,130 | 0.7% |
| Franklin County, VT | 2,731 | 0.7% |
| Aroostook County, ME | 2,702 | 0.1% |
| Bennington County, VT | 2,109 | 0.5% |
| Orleans County, VT | 1,955 | 0.4% |
| Caledonia County, VT | 1,801 | 0.4% |
| Washington County, VT | 1,724 | 0.4% |
| Kennebec County, ME | 878 | 0.2% |
| Cumberland County, ME | 480 | 0.1% |
| Penobscot County, ME | 128 | 0.0% |
| Essex County, VT | 58 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Marlow acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 44.2% |
| Very limited | 54.7% |
| Not rated | 1.1% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Marlow acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.3 feet (28 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 9–35% (median 20%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 13%.
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 | 97.2% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.2% |
| 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 | 1.5% |
| Not rated | 1.1% |
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 Marlow (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 966,438 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Marlow components. The profile comes from the single largest Marlow component. Full methodology.