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History of Vermont County Soil Survey Publications (Hardcopy Maps)

Which counties in Vermont  have paper copies of soil surveys:

Published surveys - sill in circulation:  

  • Chittenden
  • Franklin
  • Lamoille
  • Orange
  • Rutland
  • Windham 
  • Washington*

Published surveys that are Out-of-Print:

  • Addison*
  • Grande Isle*

Will never be published using the traditional format -
(distribution will be on CD and over the Web only; paper copies of maps may be available):

  • Bennington *
  • Windsor
  • Orleans
  • Caledonia

On-going mapping, thus no published surveys:

  • Essex

*  Washington, Addison, Bennington, and Grande Isle Counties have a CDs available

Summary of Soil Survey Publications

Soil surveys are no longer available in the traditional published book format. Online Web Soil Survey and digital GIS data provide the most reliable, current soils information.  If you are nostalgic for the hard copy published surveys - each USDA Service Center has copies of the survey for that particular county. Additionally, local libraries often have copies and the University of Vermont Bailey Howe Library in Burlington has the entire set for Vermont in its collection.

The oldest soil survey publication in Vermont was issued in 1930, covering the entire state. It includes soil descriptions and two very large maps at 1:125,000 scale. The first detailed county soil maps were produced for Grand Isle, issued in 1959. The Vermont mapping effort continues to this day; one county has an on-going survey (Essex). Some of the older publications are known to contain numerous errors, with certain surveys being especially problematic. Several older surveys are considered "out of date" which means the mapping does not conform to present day standards.

It is interesting to note, Vermont was one of the first states in the country to use digital mapping finishing for the publication of Rutland County, in a cooperative effort between NRCS and Vermont Center for Geographic Information in 1992.

Chronology

The chronology below gives comparative information for Vermont County Soil Publications:

Chronology of Vermont Soil Survey Publications
County Publication Date Photobase for Publication Scale of Publication Photography Status of Published Survey
Grande Isle 1959 photo-mosaic (non ortho) 1:20,000 out of date - very limited number of copies
Addison 1971 photo-mosaic (non ortho) 1:15,840 out of date - very limited number of copies
Chittenden 1974

re-issued 1989

 photo-mosaic (non ortho) 1:15,840 out of date
> view historical copy at USDA  Service Center
Orange 1978 photo-mosaic (non ortho) 1:20,000 no longer available
> view historical copy at USDA  Service Center
Franklin 1979 photo-mosaic (non ortho) 1:20,000 no longer  available
> view historical copy at USDA  Service Center
Lamoille 1981 1/3 topo quad orthophoto 1:20,000 no longer available
> view historical copy at USDA  Service Center
Windham 1987 VMP orthophoto 1:20,000 no longer available
> view historical copy at USDA  Service Center
Rutland 1998
(one of first digitally map finished surveys in the country)		 VMP orthophoto reconfigured to 1/3 topo quad orthophoto 1:20,000 no longer available
> view historical copy at USDA  Service Center
Washington 2005 VMP orthophoto reconfigured to full topoquad 1:24,000 no longer available
> view historical copy at USDA  Service Center
Bennington not published

mapping completed

Windsor not published

mapping completed

Orleans not published

mapping completed

Caledonia not published

mapping  completed
Essex not published

mapping NOT completed

Note: VMP = Vermont Mapping Program; ortho = orthophotography; topo quad = USGS topgraphic quadrangle
 


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