Soil Survey of Dallas County, Texas Page: 3
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DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS
association to the bedrock. Because of the slope, geo-
logic erosion has removed soil material nearly as fast as
it has formed. Thus, the soils are shallow, gravelly, and
highly calcareous and have a poorly developed profile.
Eddy and Brackett soils are examples.
Agriculture
Agriculture in Dallas County consists of raising live-
stock, growing crops, and dairy farming.
In 1920, the acreage of cultivated land was estimated
to be more than 500,000 acres. In 1970, according to
the Conservation Needs Inventory of that year (3), the
acreage of cropland was about 138,000 acres; about
265,000 acres was in urban uses, 96,000 acres was
pastureland, and 28,000 acres was rangeland.
Grain sorghum and cotton are the main row crops.
Wheat and oats grown for grain and sorghums grown for
hay are the main sown crops. Johnsongrass is the main
perennial hay crop. Alfalfa is grown to a minor extent on
some of the soils on bottom lands.
Beef cattle are the main livestock. They are sold
mainly at local auctions. Herds are mostly cow-calf oper-
ations that are maintained the year round. The beef
cattle graze mainly improved bermudagrass and some
native grasses. Dairy cattle are also produced in the
survey area. Some purebred herds of both beef and
dairy cattle produce breeding stock for local and distant
sales.
Natural resources
The soil is the most important natural resource in
Dallas County.
The water supply in the county is adequate for rural
domestic use and for livestock. The underground geolog-
ic formations of Paluxy and Trinity sands are the main
sources of water for these uses. The water for urban
areas is mainy supplied by manmade lakes.
Gravel and sand are mined on the flood plains and old
river terraces. Cement is made from the soft limestone
of the Austin Chalk formation. Bricks are made from clay
taken from material under the Vertel and Ferris soils.
How this survey was made
Soil scientists made this survey to learn what soils are
in the survey area, where they are, and how they can be
used. They observed the steepness, length, and shape
of slopes; the size of streams and the general pattern of
drainage; the kinds of native plants or crops; and the
kinds of rock. They dug many holes to study soil profiles.
A profile is the sequence of natural layers, or horizons, in
a soil. It extends from the surface down into the parent
material, which has been changed very little by leaching
or by plant roots.
The soil scientists recorded the characteristics of the
profiles they studied and compared those profiles withothers in nearby counties and in more distant places.
They classified and named the soils according to nation-
wide uniform procedures. They drew the boundaries of
the soils on aerial photographs. These photographs
show trees, buildings, fields, roads, and other details that
help in drawing boundaries accurately. The soil maps at
the back of this publication were prepared from aerial
photographs.
The areas shown on a soil map are called map units.
Most map units are made up of one kind of soil. Some
are made up of two or more kinds. The map units in this
survey area are described under "General soil map for
broad land use planning" and "Soil maps for detailed
planning."
While a soil survey is in progress, samples of some
soils are taken for laboratory measurements and for en-
gineering tests. All soils are field tested to determine
their characteristics. Interpretations of those characteris-
tics may be modified during the survey. Data are assem-
bled from other sources, such as test results, records,
field experience, and state and local specialists. For ex-
ample, data on crop yields under defined management
are assembled from farm records and from field or plot
experiments on the same kinds of soil.
But only part of a soil survey is done when the soils
have been named, described, interpreted, and delineated
on aerial photographs and when the laboratory data and
other data have been assembled. The mass of detailed
information then needs to be organized so that it can be
used by farmers, rangeland managers, engineers, plan-
ners, developers and builders, home buyers, and others.
General soil map for broad land use
planning
The general soil map at the back of this publication
shows broad areas that have a distinctive pattern of
soils, relief, and drainage. Each map unit on the general
soil map is a unique natural landscape. Typically, a map
unit consists of one or more major soils and some minor
soils. It is named for the major soils. The soils making up
one unit can occur in other units but in a different pat-
tern.
The general soil map can be used to compare the
suitability of large areas for general land uses. Areas of
suitable soils can be identified on the map. Likewise,
areas where the soils are not suitable can be identified.
Because of its small scale, the map is not suitable for
planning the management of a farm or field or for select-
ing a site for a road or building or other structure. The
soils in any one map unit differ from place to place in
slope, depth, drainage, and other characteristics that
affect management.
The soils in the survey area vary widely in their poten-
tial for major land uses. Table 4 shows the extent of the
map units shown on the general soil map. It lists the
potential of each, in relation to that of the other map3
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General Soil Map, Dallas County, Texas (Map)
Map displays soil types along with creeks, towns, schools, churches, power transmission lines, oil and gas pipelines, roads, and railroads. Includes legend and symbols. Scale 1:253,400
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Coffee, Daniel R. Soil Survey of Dallas County, Texas, book, 1980; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth130211/m1/13/?q=tex-land&rotate=270: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.