Soil series profile

Dalhart soil series

Dalhart is a well drained soil with a loamy fine sand surface, mapped on 836,641 acres in 24 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group B.

#246 by mapped area fine-loamy Aridic Haplustalfs (Alfisols)

Drainage class: Well drained
Hydrologic group: B
Typical topsoil pH: 7.2
Mapped area: 837k

Typical Dalhart profile

Texture and pH by depth

Depth to scale. More strongly shaded layers hold more clay. Horizon names are the soil survey's (A = topsoil, B = subsoil, C = parent material).

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Typical Dalhart horizons (representative values)
Depth	Texture	pH	Clay	Sand	Organic matter
0–11 in (Ap)	Loamy fine sand	7.2	5%	79%	0.75%
11–24 in (Bt)	Sandy clay loam	7.6	28%	52%	0.25%
24–44 in (Btk)	Loam	8.2	24%	46%	0.25%
44–80 in (2BCk)	Fine sandy loam	8.2	16%	65%	0.25%

Representative values from the most extensive Dalhart map unit (Dalhart loamy fine sand, 0 to 3 percent slopes, survey area OK025). Other map units of this series vary within the series range.

Stock photo for illustration, not a sample of this soil series. Credit on the Sources & method page.

What this means

What Dalhart soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems

For gardens

Typical topsoil in Dalhart soils is neutral: pH 7.2, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.

Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 51% of mapped Dalhart acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (51% of mapped Dalhart acres).

100% of mapped Dalhart acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.

For lawns and yards

Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.

For a septic system

For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 0% of the acres in mapped Dalhart soils very limited, 94% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (6% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).

Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.

Generated from the mapped numbers above using fixed rules, not a site visit. See how these notes are written.

Where Dalhart soil is found

Mapped acres

Dalhart is mapped in Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Texas and Colorado.

Counties with the most mapped Dalhart soil
County	Acres	Share of county land
Cimarron County, OK	271,285	23.3%
Stevens County, KS	149,314	32.1%
Texas County, OK	141,622	10.8%
Morton County, KS	69,693	14.9%
Seward County, KS	67,168	16.4%
Beaver County, OK	42,703	3.7%
Sherman County, TX	29,640	5.0%
Colfax County, NM	28,349	1.1%
Harding County, NM	12,840	0.9%
Meade County, KS	8,901	1.4%
Moore County, TX	7,197	1.2%
Baca County, CO	2,827	0.2%
Hartley County, TX	2,260	0.2%
Dallam County, TX	1,338	0.1%
Hansford County, TX	401	0.1%
Grant County, KS	395	0.1%
Clark County, KS	232	0.0%
Lipscomb County, TX	187	0.0%
Ellis County, OK	184	0.0%
Haskell County, KS	51	0.0%
Gray County, KS	38	0.0%
Ochiltree County, TX	10	0.0%
Stanton County, KS	7	0.0%
Ford County, KS	0	0.0%

Septic absorption fields

NRCS rating, share of Dalhart acres

Not limited 0%

Somewhat limited 94%

Very limited 0%

Not rated 6%

Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Dalhart acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Dalhart acres.
Category	Share of acres
Not limited	0.0%
Somewhat limited	93.6%
Very limited	0.0%
Not rated	6.4%

Drainage, water table and flooding

Share of Dalhart 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 0–4% (median 2%).
Topsoil organic matter: Median 0.8%.

Drainage class

Excessively drained 0%

Somewhat excessively drained 0%

Well drained 100%

Moderately well drained 0%

Somewhat poorly drained 0%

Poorly drained 0%

Very poorly drained 0%

Drainage class across mapped Dalhart acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Drainage class across mapped Dalhart acres.
Category	Share of acres
Excessively drained	0.0%
Somewhat excessively drained	0.0%
Well drained	100.0%
Moderately well drained	0.0%
Somewhat poorly drained	0.0%
Poorly drained	0.0%
Very poorly drained	0.0%

Hydrologic soil group

A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) 0%

B: moderate infiltration 98%

C: slow infiltration 0%

D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) 0%

A/D: D as is, A if drained 0%

B/D: D as is, B if drained 0%

C/D: D as is, C if drained 0%

Not rated 2%

Hydrologic soil group across mapped Dalhart acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Hydrologic soil group across mapped Dalhart acres.
Category	Share of acres
A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly)	0.0%
B: moderate infiltration	97.8%
C: slow infiltration	0.0%
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%
Not rated	2.2%

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 Dalhart (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 836,641 acres.
Method: Shares are by mapped acres of Dalhart components. The profile comes from the single largest Dalhart component. Full methodology.

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.

Full narrative description: USDA Official Soil Series Description for Dalhart.