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What is a Soil Survey?

Soil Scientist with soil auger

On this page:

The Program

New Publication Formats

Why Soil Data are Needed

Soil Mapping

“How can I stand on the ground every day and not feel its power? How can I live my life stepping on this stuff and not wonder at it?” ---
William Bryant Logan, Dirt-The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth

The Program

Soil surveys provide a scientific inventory of one of our most basic and important natural resources-- the soil. The National Cooperative Soil Survey Program is actually a nationwide partnership of Federal, regional, State, and local agencies. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in cooperation with its partners,  has the leadership role for conducting soil surveys on private lands across the country. The Vermont NRCS Soils Program works with:

  • Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station
  • Vermont Center for Geographic Information
  • Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
  • United States Forest Service

The national NRCS Web site gives a more in-depth explanation of the National Soil Survey Program.

 

New Publication Formats

Traditionally, a soil survey publication contained information in the form of detailed soil maps, data tables, photographs, and text narratives. Soil surveys provide a variety of users with information about soils and how to manage them properly. Modern soil surveys can be used for such diverse activities as farm planning, forest management, analysis of urban sprawl, watershed modeling, sewage disposal, highway construction, and ecological research.

Soil surveys contain interpretative information for agricultural, forestry and urban uses. The survey also highlights limitations and hazards inherent in the soil. A soil survey is a fundamental tool for sound soil and water management, crop production, and land use. 

Vermont users of the soil survey find it and invaluable reference to answer questions about:

  • Prime Agricultural Soils
  • Hydric Soils
  • On-site Sewage Ratings
  • Areas prone to flooding

In Vermont, soil surveys are produced on a county basis. Vermont NRCS has now transitioned to CD products and on-line surveys. All counties have been mapped except ofr Essex County in the  Northeast Kingdom. Check the page on Status of Soil Surveys to find out which areas have soil mapping available and in which format.

 

Why Soil Data are Needed

Many people assume that soils are all more or less alike. They are unaware that great differences in soil properties can occur within even short distances. Soils may be seasonally wet or subject to flooding (see Figure 1). Flood plain soils have limitations They may be shallow to bedrock. They may be too unstable to be used as a foundation for buildings or roads. Very clayey or wet soils are poorly suited to septic tank absorption fields. A high water table makes a soil poorly suited to basements or underground installations.

A soil survey makes these types of interpretive data easily available to prevent inappropriate uses of soils. By matching land use to soil properties ecological stability is maintained. It is essential to understand soils, know where they occur on the landscape and evaluate their unique properties and limitations.

 

Soil Mapping

A multitude of processes are utilized to create soil maps. Initially, the two primary techniques are

  1. field observations from traversing the land
  2. aerial photograph interpretation.

When in the field, soil scientists observe slopes, vegetation, and every feature they believe might affect use of the soil. Additionally, using soil augers and spades they expose soil profiles to determine the characteristics of the soil which results in the soil being classified to the series level. Boundaries of the individual soil areas are drafted on distorted aerial photographs, which permits the mapper to see a three-dimentional view of the landscape by using a stereo-scope. Other available maps of the survey area are consulted such as surficial and bedrock geology maps, flood hazard maps, and vegetation zone maps. While a soil survey is in progress, samples of soils are taken as needed for laboratory measurements and engineering tests.

The NRCS adheres to a set of standards for map production, data collection and publication of surveys. Moreover, having a common system of soil classification and interpretation across the country, allows a nationally consistent resource survey. The first county soil survey was begun in New Mexico in 1899. Since the 1920s, NRCS was one of the first agencies to use aerial photography as a base for the final map product. Soil mapping equipment has essentially remained the same for 100 years. Recently, more sophisticated tools are being utilized by the modern-day soil mapper: GPS units, ruggedized PCs, digital cameras.

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