Soil series profile
Weikert soil series
Weikert is a well drained soil with a channery silt loam surface, mapped on 1,933,969 acres in 145 counties across 10 states. Hydrologic group D.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 54% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- D >99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.0 very strongly acidic · range 5.0–5.3
- Mapped area
- 1.9M acres in 145 counties, 10 states
Typical Weikert profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 in (Oi) | Slightly decomposed plant material | 4.3 | Not reported | Not reported | 69% |
| 1–7 in (A) | Channery silt loam | 5.0 | 15% | 26% | 2.5% |
| 7–15 in (Bw) | Very channery silt loam | 4.9 | 14% | 31% | 1% |
| 15–17 in (C) | Extremely channery silt loam | 5.2 | 16% | 32% | 0.5% |
| 17–26 in (R) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Weikert soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Weikert soils is very strongly acidic: pH 5.0 (most land between 5.0 and 5.3). 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 Weikert acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is channery silt loam (82% of mapped Weikert acres).
46% of mapped Weikert acres is excessively or somewhat excessively drained: water moves through fast, so gardens need more frequent watering in dry spells.
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 Weikert 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 Weikert soil is found
Mapped acres
Weikert is mapped in Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois and New Jersey. The 60 counties with the most Weikert acres:
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Armstrong County, PA | 63,442 | 15.2% |
| Allegany County, MD | 58,521 | 21.6% |
| Franklin County, PA | 58,401 | 11.9% |
| Hampshire County, WV | 57,479 | 16.3% |
| Bedford County, PA | 55,540 | 8.7% |
| Frederick County, VA | 51,639 | 22.8% |
| Columbia County, PA | 48,975 | 16.0% |
| Bath County, VA | 48,005 | 16.4% |
| Pocahontas County, WV | 47,878 | 9.9% |
| Huntingdon County, PA | 47,014 | 8.5% |
| Alleghany County, VA | 46,622 | 19.2% |
| Rockingham County, VA | 44,098 | 9.8% |
| Monroe County, WV | 43,375 | 15.6% |
| Snyder County, PA | 42,589 | 20.3% |
| Greenbrier County, WV | 41,132 | 7.8% |
| Berks County, PA | 39,543 | 7.2% |
| Lycoming County, PA | 37,989 | 4.9% |
| Mineral County, WV | 37,193 | 20.4% |
| Grayson County, KY | 37,063 | 11.5% |
| Fulton County, PA | 36,816 | 13.3% |
| Northumberland County, PA | 35,990 | 12.3% |
| Indiana County, PA | 30,766 | 5.8% |
| Perry County, PA | 29,653 | 8.6% |
| Beaver County, PA | 28,483 | 10.3% |
| Berkeley County, WV | 27,499 | 15.7% |
| Morgan County, WV | 27,168 | 21.0% |
| Grant County, WV | 26,324 | 10.8% |
| Shenandoah County, VA | 26,215 | 12.8% |
| Washington County, VA | 25,696 | 9.3% |
| Hardy County, WV | 25,199 | 8.4% |
| Pendleton County, WV | 23,164 | 6.8% |
| Juniata County, PA | 22,252 | 9.0% |
| Cumberland County, PA | 22,199 | 6.5% |
| Botetourt County, VA | 21,566 | 9.2% |
| Washington County, PA | 21,438 | 3.9% |
| Allegheny County, PA | 18,848 | 4.0% |
| Lehigh County, PA | 17,752 | 8.1% |
| Somerset County, PA | 17,558 | 2.6% |
| Schuylkill County, PA | 16,671 | 3.4% |
| Highland County, VA | 16,362 | 7.1% |
| Butler County, PA | 16,273 | 3.2% |
| Washington County, MD | 15,610 | 5.4% |
| Blair County, PA | 15,470 | 4.7% |
| Rockcastle County, KY | 14,872 | 7.3% |
| Augusta County, VA | 14,262 | 2.8% |
| Centre County, PA | 14,259 | 2.0% |
| Christian County, KY | 13,992 | 3.0% |
| Roanoke County, VA | 13,906 | 11.3% |
| Montgomery County, VA | 13,805 | 6.8% |
| Northampton County, PA | 12,891 | 5.5% |
| Westmoreland County, PA | 12,875 | 2.0% |
| Montour County, PA | 12,862 | 15.4% |
| Lebanon County, PA | 12,723 | 5.6% |
| Adair County, KY | 11,942 | 4.6% |
| Randolph County, WV | 11,345 | 2.2% |
| Warren County, VA | 11,020 | 9.3% |
| Carbon County, PA | 10,658 | 4.4% |
| Carroll County, VA | 10,200 | 3.8% |
| Smyth County, VA | 9,817 | 5.7% |
| Bland County, VA | 9,365 | 6.7% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Weikert acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 99.3% |
| Not rated | 0.7% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Weikert acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.2 feet (26 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 12–55% (median 35%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 45.9% |
| Well drained | 54.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.1% |
| 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 | 0.1% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 99.1% |
| 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 | 0.7% |
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 Weikert (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 1,933,969 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Weikert components. The profile comes from the single largest Weikert component. Full methodology.