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The Trinity County Demo Parcel parcel encompasses approximately 35.0 acres centered at 30.8° N, −95.51° W in Trinity County, Texas, bounded by coordinates −95.5145° W to −95.5055° W and 30.7955° N to 30.8045° N. Intended uses queried are homestead, orchard, and garden. Aerial imagery was acquired on 12 September 2022 at 0.6 m ground sample distance [NAIP-2022-09-12]. Multispectral satellite imagery was acquired on 12 May 2026 at 10 m resolution with 0.48% cloud cover [S2-2026-05-12-cloud0.5]. Terrain analysis is derived from a 2 m resolution LiDAR-based digital terrain model [3DEP-3dep-lidar-dtm-undated].
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Elevation across the parcel ranges from 65.5 m to 84.0 m, with a mean of 76.1 m and a total relief of 18.5 m [3DEP-3dep-lidar-dtm-undated]. Mean slope is 2.5°, and 93.0% of the parcel surface falls below 5° [3DEP-3dep-lidar-dtm-undated]. The 95th-percentile slope reaches 6.0°, and only 0.9% of the parcel exceeds 15° [3DEP-3dep-lidar-dtm-undated]. The dominant aspect is west-facing (21.2%), followed by northwest (15.4%), north (17.7%), and southwest (14.4%) [3DEP-3dep-lidar-dtm-undated].
| Aspect | % of Parcel | |--------|-------------| | N | 17.7% | | NE | 11.5% | | E | 6.7% | | SE | 5.4% | | S | 7.7% | | SW | 14.4% | | W | 21.2% | | NW | 15.4% |
*Source: [3DEP-3dep-lidar-dtm-undated]*
The Topographic Wetness Index mean is 4.11, with 9.9% of the parcel falling within the top-decile wet-zone proxy [3DEP-3dep-lidar-dtm-undated]. These wet-zone areas warrant ground-truthing for seasonal ponding or seep conditions, particularly given the somewhat poorly drained soils present in portions of the parcel (see Section 3).
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Six SSURGO map units intersect the parcel [SSURGO]. The dominant map unit by area is Elmina association, gently undulating (MUKEY 575940), which carries an Elmina component at 80% composition with a drainage class of somewhat poorly drained (Alfisols/Udalfs, hydric rating: No, runoff class: negligible) [SSURGO-MUKEY-575940]. A second significant map unit is Falba fine sandy loam, 1 to 5 percent slopes (MUKEY 575942), with a Falba component at 80% composition, drainage class moderately well drained, and a very high runoff class [SSURGO-MUKEY-575942]. Additional map units include Ferris clay (MUKEY 575945, well drained, Vertisols/Usterts, very high runoff) [SSURGO-MUKEY-575945], Leson clay (MUKEY 575964, moderately well drained, Vertisols/Usterts, very high runoff) [SSURGO-MUKEY-575964], Arriola fine sandy loam (MUKEY 575977, moderately well drained, Alfisols/Udalfs, very high runoff) [SSURGO-MUKEY-575977], and a Water map unit (MUKEY 575981) [SSURGO-MUKEY-575981], indicating a mapped water body or persistent wet feature within or immediately adjacent to the parcel boundary.
[DATA_GAP: Annual minimum water-table depth (wt_depth_annual_min_cm) is null for all components — seasonal high water-table elevation cannot be quantified from available data, which is material to foundation design, septic siting, and root-zone assessment for orchard species.]
[DATA_GAP: April–June water-table depth (wt_depth_apr_jun_cm) is null for all components — spring wet-season depth to water table cannot be assessed from available data.]
The presence of the somewhat poorly drained Elmina association as the dominant map unit by area, alongside a mapped Water unit, suggests that drainage conditions are spatially variable across the parcel and warrant field verification prior to any construction or planting layout.
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NAIP imagery acquired on 12 September 2022 at 0.6 m resolution indicates a mixed land cover pattern across the parcel [NAIP-2022-09-12]. Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery acquired on 12 May 2026 with 0.48% cloud cover provides a near-cloud-free spectral observation of the parcel at the time of acquisition [S2-2026-05-12-cloud0.5]. The combination of these two sources suggests a mix of woody vegetation and open or semi-open areas, consistent with the East Texas Pineywoods transitional landscape typical of Trinity County; however, precise canopy cover percentages and species composition cannot be determined from screening-level remote sensing alone and warrant ground-truthing.
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The rule-based scorer evaluated three intended uses. The scorer's dominant soil component is reported as Ferris (MUKEY 575945, well drained) [SSURGO-MUKEY-575945], which represents one of six map units on the parcel; scores derived from this component should be interpreted in light of the spatially variable soil conditions described in Section 3.
| Use | Score (1–5) | Confidence | |------------|-------------|------------| | Homestead | 4 | MEDIUM | | Orchard | 4 | MEDIUM | | Garden | 5 | MEDIUM |
Homestead (Score: 4/5 — MEDIUM confidence) The data suggests favorable conditions for homestead siting across the majority of the parcel. Mean slope of 2.5° is consistent with gentle terrain suitable for building pad placement [3DEP-3dep-lidar-dtm-undated]. The Ferris component's well-drained classification supports foundation performance [SSURGO-MUKEY-575945]. However, the dominant map unit by area is the somewhat poorly drained Elmina association [SSURGO-MUKEY-575940], and the presence of a mapped Water unit [SSURGO-MUKEY-575981] indicates that site-specific soil investigation is required before foundation or septic system design. The 9.9% wet-zone proxy area [3DEP-3dep-lidar-dtm-undated] further warrants attention for structure siting.
Orchard (Score: 4/5 — MEDIUM confidence) Well-drained conditions associated with the Ferris component suggest compatibility with orchard root-zone requirements [SSURGO-MUKEY-575945]. The predominantly gentle slope (93.0% of parcel below 5°) [3DEP-3dep-lidar-dtm-undated] is consistent with mechanized orchard management. The somewhat poorly drained Elmina association [SSURGO-MUKEY-575940] and the absence of quantified water-table depth data [DATA_GAP: see Section 3] limit confidence in root-zone drainage assessment across the full parcel. Species selection and block layout cannot be confirmed without field soil borings and seasonal water-table monitoring.
Garden (Score: 5/5 — MEDIUM confidence) The data establishes that mean slope of 2.5° is consistent with garden bed layout and surface water management [3DEP-3dep-lidar-dtm-undated]. Well-drained conditions in the Ferris component suggest favorable conditions for vegetable production in those portions of the parcel [SSURGO-MUKEY-575945]. Confidence is held at MEDIUM rather than HIGH because the dominant map unit is somewhat poorly drained [SSURGO-MUKEY-575940], and garden bed placement in wet-zone areas (9.9% of parcel) [3DEP-3dep-lidar-dtm-undated] would require drainage intervention. Raised bed or amended-bed approaches may be warranted in lower-lying areas pending field verification.
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Annual minimum and seasonal (April–June) water-table depth data are null for all SSURGO components intersecting this parcel [DATA_GAP: wt_depth_annual_min_cm and wt_depth_apr_jun_cm are null for all map units — depth to groundwater cannot be estimated from available screening data]. The dominant map unit, Elmina association, carries a somewhat poorly drained classification [SSURGO-MUKEY-575940], which limited measurements indicate may reflect a seasonally elevated water table rather than a deep perched condition, but this cannot be confirmed without field data. The presence of a mapped Water unit (MUKEY 575981) [SSURGO-MUKEY-575981] suggests a surface water feature that may or may not reflect shallow groundwater. This analysis constitutes a screening-level review only and does not substitute for a hydrogeological survey; a licensed hydrogeologist should be engaged before any drilling decision is made.
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Citations Used
[NAIP-2022-09-12] — NAIP aerial imagery, tile tx_m_3009512_se_15_060_20220912, acquired 12 September 2022, 0.6 m GSD.[S2-2026-05-12-cloud0.5] — Sentinel-2 L2A imagery, scene S2A_15RTQ_20260512_1_L2A, acquired 12 May 2026, 0.48% cloud cover, 10 m resolution.[3DEP-3dep-lidar-dtm-undated] — USGS 3DEP LiDAR-derived digital terrain model, collection TX_Coastal_B1_2018, 2 m cell size; acquisition date not specified in metadata.[SSURGO] — USDA SSURGO soils database, 6 map units intersecting parcel.[SSURGO-MUKEY-575940] — Elmina association, gently undulating; dominant component Elmina, 80%, somewhat poorly drained, Alfisols/Udalfs.[SSURGO-MUKEY-575942] — Falba fine sandy loam, 1 to 5 percent slopes; dominant component Falba, 80%, moderately well drained, Alfisols/Ustalfs.[SSURGO-MUKEY-575945] — Ferris clay, 1 to 5 percent slopes; dominant component Ferris, 85%, well drained, Vertisols/Usterts.[SSURGO-MUKEY-575964] — Leson clay, 0 to 3 percent slopes; dominant component Leson, 83%, moderately well drained, Vertisols/Usterts.[SSURGO-MUKEY-575977] — Arriola fine sandy loam, 1 to 5 percent slopes; dominant component Arriola, 80%, moderately well drained, Alfisols/Udalfs.[SSURGO-MUKEY-575981] — Water map unit; no drainage class, tax order, or runoff class recorded.Data Gaps
[DATA_GAP: wt_depth_annual_min_cm is null for all SSURGO components — annual minimum water-table depth cannot be quantified, which is material to foundation design, septic permitting, and root-zone assessment.][DATA_GAP: wt_depth_apr_jun_cm is null for all SSURGO components — spring wet-season water-table depth cannot be assessed, which is material to orchard and garden drainage planning.][DATA_GAP: 3DEP LiDAR DTM acquisition date is not specified in metadata — temporal currency of terrain derivatives cannot be confirmed.][DATA_GAP: No quantitative canopy cover or species-level vegetation classification is available from screening-level remote sensing — land cover characterization is limited to qualitative observation.]