Soil series profile
Matapeake soil series
Matapeake is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 109,179 acres in 27 counties across 6 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 97% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 60% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.0 moderately acidic · range 5.0–6.0
- Mapped area
- 109k acres in 27 counties, 6 states
Typical Matapeake profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 6.0 | 13% | 20% | 1.22% |
| 5–11 in (E) | Silt loam | 5.4 | 13% | 20% | 0.25% |
| 11–34 in (Bt) | Silt loam | 5.3 | 25% | 10% | 0.31% |
| 34–38 in (2BC) | Sandy loam | 4.9 | 11% | 70% | 0.2% |
| 38–80 in (2C) | Loamy sand | 4.9 | 7% | 84% | 0.2% |
What this means
What Matapeake soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Matapeake soils is moderately acidic: pH 6.0 (most land between 5.0 and 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 97% of mapped Matapeake acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (88% of mapped Matapeake acres).
97% of mapped Matapeake acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 60% 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 97% of the acres in mapped Matapeake soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (3% 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 Matapeake soil is found
Mapped acres
Matapeake is mapped in Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and District of Columbia.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Kent County, MD | 22,053 | 12.8% |
| Cecil County, MD | 14,587 | 7.2% |
| Cumberland County, NJ | 11,763 | 3.8% |
| Queen Anne's County, MD | 7,706 | 3.3% |
| Salem County, NJ | 7,109 | 3.6% |
| Mercer County, NJ | 6,752 | 4.8% |
| Northumberland County, VA | 6,697 | 6.6% |
| St. Mary's County, MD | 6,460 | 2.8% |
| New Castle County, DE | 4,792 | 1.9% |
| Bucks County, PA | 3,722 | 1.0% |
| Worcester County, MD | 3,465 | 1.0% |
| Calvert County, MD | 2,690 | 2.0% |
| Middlesex County, NJ | 2,057 | 1.0% |
| Talbot County, MD | 1,902 | 1.2% |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 1,458 | 0.5% |
| Prince George's County, MD | 1,081 | 0.4% |
| Kent County, DE | 1,047 | 0.3% |
| Fairfax County, VA | 992 | 0.4% |
| Harford County, MD | 850 | 0.3% |
| Baltimore County, MD | 766 | 0.2% |
| Lancaster County, VA | 505 | 0.9% |
| Dorchester County, MD | 347 | 0.1% |
| District of Columbia, DC | 236 | 0.6% |
| Wicomico County, MD | 112 | 0.0% |
| Caroline County, MD | 18 | 0.0% |
| Northampton County, PA | 12 | 0.0% |
| Philadelphia County, PA | 0 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Matapeake acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 97.4% |
| Not rated | 2.6% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Matapeake acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 5.9 feet (71 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 1–7% (median 3%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.2%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 97.4% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 2.6% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 37.1% |
| C: slow infiltration | 60.3% |
| 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 | 2.6% |
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 Matapeake (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 109,179 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Matapeake components. The profile comes from the single largest Matapeake component. Full methodology.