What is Dougherty soil and how does it affect Oklahoma foundations?

Reviewed by Preston, Oklahoma foundation repair consultant · Updated 2026-10-14

In short: Dougherty is a very deep, well-drained soil of central Oklahoma with 20 to 40 inches of loose fine sand on top of a sandy clay loam subsoil. It formed on old stream terraces where wind reworked the sand into dunes that are now covered with vegetation. The thick sand layer makes erosion and water management the main soil concerns for houses built on it.

Where does Dougherty soil occur?

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Official Series Description (OSD) places Dougherty in central Oklahoma and Texas, in Major Land Resource Areas 80A and 84A, at 750 to 1,220 feet elevation ¹. It is a series of large extent ¹. The type location is in Payne County, about 9 miles south and 8 miles west of Stillwater on State Highway 33, and the series was established in Murray County ¹.

Dougherty forms on stabilized dunes on reworked stream terraces, on slopes that are dominantly 0 to 8 percent and range to 20 percent ¹. Its parent material is sandy and loamy Pleistocene terrace sediment ¹, covered on the Quaternary alluvium and terraces page. The Payne County type location sits in the North-Central (Red Prairies and Wheat Belt) region, north of the OKC metro.

What are Dougherty soil's key properties?

"Arenic" in the classification refers to the thick sandy layer above the clay-enriched subsoil. The "E" horizon is a pale layer from which clay has been washed downward. Dougherty is used for sorghum, small grains, peanuts and improved pasture, and native vegetation is post oak, blackjack and hickory savannah ¹.

What does Dougherty soil mean for foundations?

Thick sand at the surface

The upper 20 to 40 inches of Dougherty are fine sand or loamy fine sand, and the typical pedon has 27 inches of sandy material ¹. Washout of sandy soil by concentrated water is covered in erosion, undermining and washout voids. The ASCE homeowner guide describes using clay rather than sandy soil as fill next to a foundation, compacted so it sheds water away from the house ⁴.

Clay subsoil below

Under the sand, the Bt subsoil holds 18 to 35 percent clay ¹. Clay soils swell when wet and shrink when dry, and uneven moisture causes more damage than uniform changes ⁴. NRCS classes linear extensibility (LEP) under 3 percent as low and 3 to 6 percent as moderate ³; the LEP for each Dougherty map unit is in Web Soil Survey ².

Leaks and drainage

Water or sewer leaks can cause localized foundation movement, and the ASCE guide advises monitoring water bills and having leaks located and repaired ⁴. The guide also describes downspouts discharging away from the foundation onto splash blocks that prevent erosion ⁴. See plumbing leaks under slab and surface drainage and grading.

How do you check a specific lot?

• Look up the map unit, slope and LEP in Web Soil Survey ².
• Check that soil next to the foundation slopes away from the house and has not washed out ⁴.
• Look for gaps or soil pulled away from the foundation and exposed footings.

Related

• Quaternary Alluvium and Terraces
• Exposed Slab Edge or Void Under Footing
• Void and Compaction Grouting
• Darnell soil
• Soil Series Index