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

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

In short: Zaneis is a deep, well-drained loamy soil on low hills in central Oklahoma, including the Edmond and Oklahoma City area. Its subsoil is clay loam or sandy clay loam over interbedded Permian sandstone and shale at 40 to 60 inches. On Zaneis lots, runoff on slopes, water around the foundation and the mixed sandstone-shale bedrock are the main foundation factors.

Where does Zaneis soil occur?

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) keeps an Official Series Description (OSD) for each named soil. Zaneis was established in Carter County, Oklahoma, in 1932, and its type location is about 1 mile east and 5 miles north of Edmond in Oklahoma County ¹. It lies in the Central Rolling Red Prairies (MLRA 80A) and is extensive ¹.

Zaneis forms on summits, backslopes and side slopes of low hills, on slopes of 0 to 8 percent ¹. It is residuum (soil weathered in place) from interbedded Permian sandstone and shale ¹; for the local Permian rock units, see the Garber Sandstone and Wellington Formation pages. It occurs in the OKC Metro and parts of South-Central Oklahoma. Zaneis land is used for crops and grazing, and native vegetation is mid and tall grass prairie ¹.

What are its key properties?

The "Bt" horizon is a subsoil layer where clay has built up over time; in Zaneis it runs from about 19 to 55 inches ¹. "Cr" marks weakly consolidated bedrock; in Zaneis it is rated as having high or very high excavation difficulty ¹.

Associated soils include Bethany and Renfrow, which have clayey control sections, and Lucien, which is shallow to bedrock, along with Chickasha ¹.

What do its properties mean for foundations?

Shrink-swell

NRCS rates shrink-swell by linear extensibility: under 3 percent is low, 3 to 6 percent moderate, and values above 3 percent can damage buildings ³. Zaneis has a loamy rather than clayey subsoil, and its OSD records no cracking or slickensides ¹. The rated value for any map unit is in Web Soil Survey ². Zaneis often sits next to clayey soils such as Renfrow and Bethany ¹, so conditions can change across a single neighborhood. The Oklahoma Geological Survey notes that more than 75 percent of the state has bedrock that can produce expansive soils, and that shale-derived soils can contain swelling montmorillonite ⁵.

Mixed sandstone and shale bedrock

The bedrock below Zaneis alternates between weakly consolidated sandstone and sandy shale ¹. Layered soft rock like this is described on shale weathering and bearing strata and bedrock in the OKC metro.

Runoff and water

The OSD rates runoff as high on 1 to 5 percent slopes and very high on 5 to 8 percent slopes ¹. Concentrated runoff and leaks next to a house are the setting for erosion, undermining and washout voids. The ASCE homeowner guide recommends at least 3 inches of fall over the first 5 feet from the foundation, downspouts that discharge at least 3 feet out, and sprinkler heads at least 5 feet from the wall ⁴. Graded lots on hillsides may also involve fill consolidation settlement.

Related

• Soil series in the OKC metro
• Renfrow soil
• Bethany soil
• Surface drainage and grading
• Soil Series Index