Soil series profile
Skerry soil series
Skerry is a moderately well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 880,523 acres in 38 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group C/D.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C/D 57% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.2 strongly acidic · range 4.2–5.2
- Mapped area
- 881k acres in 38 counties, 5 states
Typical Skerry profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 in (Oa) | Highly decomposed plant material | 4.9 | Not reported | Not reported | 80% |
| 2–4 in (E) | Fine sandy loam | 5.2 | 3% | 58% | 4% |
| 4–6 in (Bhs) | Fine sandy loam | 5.2 | 6% | 53% | 7% |
| 6–20 in (Bs1) | Gravelly fine sandy loam | 5.4 | 6% | 53% | 4% |
| 20–25 in (Bs2) | Gravelly fine sandy loam | 5.4 | 3% | 53% | 4% |
| 25–34 in (Cd1) | Gravelly loamy sand | 5.4 | 2% | 80% | 0.5% |
| 34–65 in (Cd2) | Gravelly loamy sand | 5.4 | 2% | 80% | 0.5% |
What this means
What Skerry soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Skerry soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.2 (most land between 4.2 and 5.2). 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 98% of mapped Skerry acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (95% of mapped Skerry acres).
>99% of mapped Skerry acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 97% 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 98% of the acres in mapped Skerry soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (2% 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 Skerry soil is found
Mapped acres
Skerry is mapped in Maine, New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford County, ME | 188,669 | 14.8% |
| Hamilton County, NY | 87,030 | 7.9% |
| Franklin County, NY | 65,943 | 6.3% |
| York County, ME | 53,979 | 8.4% |
| Herkimer County, NY | 51,614 | 5.7% |
| Washington County, ME | 45,187 | 2.8% |
| Essex County, NY | 42,508 | 3.7% |
| Clinton County, NY | 33,092 | 5.0% |
| Piscataquis County, ME | 31,008 | 1.2% |
| Cumberland County, ME | 28,518 | 5.1% |
| Grafton County, NH | 26,637 | 3.6% |
| Coos County, NH | 25,746 | 2.8% |
| Merrimack County, NH | 21,747 | 3.7% |
| Lewis County, NY | 19,776 | 2.4% |
| Worcester County, MA | 19,499 | 2.0% |
| Saratoga County, NY | 17,884 | 3.5% |
| Fulton County, NY | 17,386 | 5.5% |
| Belknap County, NH | 14,539 | 5.6% |
| Hancock County, ME | 13,697 | 1.4% |
| Carroll County, NH | 13,477 | 3.1% |
| Somerset County, ME | 13,085 | 0.5% |
| Windsor County, VT | 11,552 | 1.9% |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 10,843 | 1.9% |
| Franklin County, ME | 9,065 | 0.8% |
| Cheshire County, NH | 4,696 | 1.0% |
| St. Lawrence County, NY | 2,859 | 0.2% |
| Oneida County, NY | 2,766 | 0.4% |
| Penobscot County, ME | 1,780 | 0.1% |
| Essex County, VT | 1,764 | 0.4% |
| Waldo County, ME | 1,622 | 0.3% |
| Sullivan County, NH | 1,453 | 0.4% |
| Caledonia County, VT | 416 | 0.1% |
| Windham County, VT | 378 | 0.1% |
| Orleans County, VT | 171 | 0.0% |
| Bennington County, VT | 90 | 0.0% |
| Lincoln County, ME | 33 | 0.0% |
| Franklin County, MA | 6 | 0.0% |
| Knox County, ME | 5 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Skerry acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 98.1% |
| Not rated | 1.9% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Skerry acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 1.7 feet (20 in) (median where reported); within 18 inches on 4% of acres.
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 4–20% (median 8%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 4%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 0.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 99.8% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.2% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.8% |
| C: slow infiltration | 4.2% |
| 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 | 36.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 57.1% |
| Not rated | 1.9% |
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 Skerry (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 880,523 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Skerry components. The profile comes from the single largest Skerry component. Full methodology.