Soil series profile
Oquaga soil series
Oquaga is a well drained soil with a channery highly organic loam surface, mapped on 995,633 acres in 26 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C 100% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.5 strongly acidic · range 5.5–5.5
- Mapped area
- 996k acres in 26 counties, 3 states
Typical Oquaga profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 in (Oe) | Moderately decomposed plant material | 4.8 | Not reported | Not reported | 80% |
| 1–5 in (A) | Channery highly organic loam | 5.5 | 14% | 39% | 15% |
| 5–15 in (Bw1) | Very channery loam | 5.0 | 12% | 42% | 3% |
| 15–24 in (Bw2) | Very channery loam | 5.0 | 14% | 41% | 1.5% |
| 24–30 in (C) | Extremely channery loam | 5.0 | 14% | 45% | 0.5% |
| 30–40 in (2R) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Oquaga soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Oquaga soils is strongly acidic: pH 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 >99% of mapped Oquaga acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is channery highly organic loam (35% of mapped Oquaga acres).
100% of mapped Oquaga acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 100% 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 100% of the acres in mapped Oquaga soils very limited, 0% 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 Oquaga soil is found
Mapped acres
Oquaga is mapped in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Tioga County, PA | 154,086 | 21.3% |
| Lycoming County, PA | 119,512 | 15.3% |
| Luzerne County, PA | 92,656 | 16.0% |
| Wayne County, PA | 72,125 | 15.5% |
| Bradford County, PA | 69,913 | 9.5% |
| Sullivan County, PA | 64,618 | 22.5% |
| Ulster County, NY | 58,112 | 8.1% |
| Susquehanna County, PA | 48,419 | 9.2% |
| Wyoming County, PA | 37,621 | 14.8% |
| Sullivan County, NY | 37,605 | 6.1% |
| Pike County, PA | 36,576 | 10.5% |
| Schoharie County, NY | 33,522 | 8.5% |
| Lackawanna County, PA | 31,023 | 10.6% |
| Chenango County, NY | 27,361 | 4.8% |
| Monroe County, PA | 24,630 | 6.4% |
| Delaware County, NY | 23,491 | 2.5% |
| Broome County, NY | 17,623 | 3.9% |
| Otsego County, NY | 13,303 | 2.1% |
| Steuben County, NY | 10,323 | 1.2% |
| Greene County, NY | 8,816 | 2.1% |
| Columbia County, PA | 6,317 | 2.1% |
| Warren County, NJ | 2,626 | 1.2% |
| Albany County, NY | 2,338 | 0.7% |
| Sussex County, NJ | 1,805 | 0.5% |
| Potter County, PA | 1,172 | 0.2% |
| Allegany County, NY | 40 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Oquaga acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 100.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Oquaga 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 6–40% (median 18%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 15%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.4% |
| Well drained | 99.6% |
| 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 | 100.0% |
| 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% |
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 Oquaga (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 995,633 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Oquaga components. The profile comes from the single largest Oquaga component. Full methodology.