understanding soil surveys - more than a checklist … jan 2018 lf... · psls annual conference...

Understanding Soil Surveys - More Than a Checklist Item!Laurel F. Mueller

Certified Professional Soil Scientist

PSLS Annual Conference January 23, 2018

SoilServicesCompany.com


Soil Survey History

How Soil Surveys Were Made

Conversion to Ortho-Photo, to Paper Publication

Transition to DIgital

Web Soil Survey

Understanding Soil Surveys - More Than a Checklist Item


Information in the Mapping

Wetlands, Stormwater, Prime Farmland

Land Capability Classification System

Drainage Class, Depth Class

Parent Material Issues

E&S: Hydrologic Group, Erosivity, Drainage



Land Development

Sewage, Stormwater, Wetlands

Exercises To Test Your Soil Map Interpretive Skills

Soil Mapping Units in Ordinances:

Alluvial, Colluvial, Prime, High Water Table, Hydric

SOIL MAPPING CAN BE WRONG AND

OWNER/DEVELOPER MAY CHALLENGE!




High Intensity Soil Survey

Permit Driven Soil Mapping Units

Hydraulic Conductivity (Ksat) Testing

for Large Volume Sewage Systems & Stormwater

“What are Soil Scientists?”


Laurel’s Take-Away Message:

You are Foolish to Not Research Soil Survey!

You are Doing a Dis-service to Your Client if

You Rely Only on Soil Survey for Site Planning!

High Intensity Site-Specific Soil Survey by

CPSSs Can be Cost-Effective in Making Your

Project Successful.



High-Intensity Soil Mapping

Detailed Soil Mapping - 33 Years as a Soil Consultant

2017

Soil Survey Mapper: My first career


What Do Soil Scientist Consultants Do?

Soil Mapping and Testing for

Onsite Sewage, Stormwater, and Wetlands for

Site Planning


Soil Survey History

Only 2 things in life you can be sure of:

DEATH AND TAXES!

In the beginning…..

Soil mapping was for taxing land value

In early China and Russia


Stereoscopic

Air Photo

Interpretation of

Landscapes

Lines were drawn before field work

How Soil Surveys Were Made 1960s to 1980s…


How Soil Surveys Were Made 1960s to 1980s…

Digging

Tools,

Topo Maps

Standards

Guides

Stories

PPE

Bug spray


Soil Survey Tools We Could Not Imagine….

GPS & cell phones -

Who knew?

Smart phone apps:

Clinometer

Mobile GPS

Road Maps

Air Photos

Topography

Soil Survey

Compass

Camera



LIDAR Imagery


Why Soils are Mappable

• TIME

• CLIMATE

• TOPOGRAPHY & RELIEF

• PARENT MATERIAL

• ORGANISMS


Why Soils are Mappable

RESIDUAL- THE ROCKS

ALLUVIAL – FLOOD

DEPOSITED

COLLUVIAL- GRAVITY

SLIDE

AEOLIAN-SAND DUNES &

LOESS


Topography: Landscape Position and Shape

Terrace

Summit


National Cooperative Soil Survey Standards (USDA/NRCS)


Certified Professional Soil Scientists (CPSS)

B.S. Soil Science + 1st Exam +

5 years + 2nd Exam, C.E.U.s


Soil Profile Descriptions

MASTER HORIZONS

A

E

B

C

R

Subhorizons


ALFISOLS ANDISOLS ARIDISOLS ENTISOLS GELISOLS

HISTOSOLS INCEPTISOLS

MOLLISOLS

OXISOLS

SPODOSOLS

ULTISOLS

VERTISOLS


Soil Surveys Joined the Digital Age, then Went On-line!


More Precision is Needed

NWI maps & Soil Surveys are Insufficient for Site Planning

WARNING! You have zoomed in beyond the scale at which the

soil map for this area is intended to be used……

Enlargement of maps can cause misunderstanding of the detail of

mapping and accuracy of soil line placement.


Our Clients Do NOT Care about USDA Soil Classification!

“Coarse-loamy,

mixed, active,

mesic Aeric

Fragiaquepts”

Series Name

“Fine-loamy, mixed,

semiactive, mesic Typic

Hapludults”

WHAT THE CLIENT NEEDS…

Does it pass for septic?

Is it a wetland?

Can I get a permit?

Will stormwater infiltration fit here?

Should I buy this land?


Simple Map Units – to optimize lot planning.


Project Examples

Residential Subdivision

Commercial Development

Micro Distillery

Mobile Home Subdivision

Summer Camp


Residential Subdivision, Berks County, PA


Investors buy hayland, with a land development concept

Wyoming

County, PA


Due Diligence Begins with Soil Survey Mapping


Sewage Systems and Drainage Class

LaB

Well Drained

LaC

Well Drained

LaC

Well

Drained

WcB

Moderately

Well Drained

LbD

Well Drained

LaC

Well

Draine

d

WcB- MWD


Soil Reconnaissance Test Pits


Commercial Land Development, Wyoming County, PA

Coordinated Planning:Sewage Facilities

Stormwater FacilitesWaters & Wetlands

Which should be

uphill?

Stormwater or

Sewage?



Some suitable

soil is now

covered with

buildings



SEASONAL HIGH

WATER TABLE

PERCHED ON A

FRAGIPAN

TODAY, STORMWATER

STORAGE BASIN

THIS CONCAVE LANDSCAPE COULD NOT BE USED

FOR SEWAGE DISPOSAL …OR STORMWATER

INFILTRATION!


Proposed Micro-Distillery, Carbon County, PA

Existing

berm

Testing for

Stormwater

InfiltrationPotential for

in-ground

absorption

area

Which should be uphill?

Stormwater or Sewage?

3-acre

Lot

Pit Depth Log


Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity (Ksat)

Infiltration Rate for Stormwater,

and Community Sewage Systems


Test Pits and Hydraulic Conductivity Testing


Decentralized Community Sewage System

200 Mobile Home Lots,

Drip Field for Repair


Decentralized Community Sewage System

850 campers & staff

11,500 GPD

Spray Field for

Summer Camp

Expansion


Aeration and Soil Porosity

Essential for sewage systems

& stormwater infiltration


Renovation

SOIL

MAGIC

Groundwater Recharge!


Soil is a living, breathing filter.


Aerated Soil Enables Sewage Treatment and Disinfection

SOIL is….Under-appreciated

THE MOST IMPORTANT Sewage System Component!

All brand-name treatment systems mimic what

aerated soil accomplishes naturally.

SOIL = LAND.

IT PAYS TO INVESTIGATE FIRST!


Soil reconnaissance can be done in all kinds of weather!


understanding soil surveys - more than a checklist … jan 2018 lf... · psls annual conference...

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