US Soil Conservation Service 
US Department of Agriculture 
PO Box 2890 
Washington, DC 20250 
(202) 447-4543 
Publication 
Soil Surveys 
Publication Dates: Varies from location to location 
Location: 50 US states, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands 
Period of Coverage: N/A 
Contents: The US Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with state 
agricultural experiment stations and other Federal and state agencies, has 
been making soil surveys and publishing them since 1899. These surveys fur- 
nish soil maps and interpretations needed in giving technical assistance to 
farmers and ranchers; in guiding other decisions about soil selection, use, 
and management; and in planning research and disseminating the results of the 
research. They are also used in educational programs about soil use and con- 
servation. Sound scientific and technical standards are used in a nationwide 
system of soil classification, nomenclature, interpretation, and publication. 
Published soil surveys contain, in addition to soil maps, general infor- 
mation about the agriculture and climate of the area and descriptions of each 
kind of soil. They include a discussion of the formation and classification 
of the soils in the area and also soil laboratory data when available. 
Soil surveys published since 1967 contain many different kinds of inter- 
pretations for each of the different soils mapped in the area. The kinds of 
interpretations included in these recent surveys vary with the needs of the 
area, but the following interpretations are in most of them: estimated yields 
of the common agricultural crops under defined levels of management, land- 
capability interpretations, soil-woodland interpretations, rangeland interpre- 
tations, engineering uses of soil, interpretations for community planning, 
suitability of the soil for drainage and irrigation, and suitability of the 
soil for wildlife and recreation. 
Most of the soil surveys published since 1957 contain soil maps printed 
on a photomosaic base. The usual map scale is 1:24,000, 1:20,000, or 
1:15,840, depending on the needs of the area. 
For planning farms, engineering structures, parks, urban developments, 
and other uses of land, the recent published soil surveys are more useful. 
The older surveys can be of considerable assistance for many users, but their 
maps are more general than those in recent surveys and some of the interpre- 
tations need to be updated. 
Available From: Published soil surveys may be found in most 
public libraries or local state and county 
agencies. 
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