Laserfiche WebLink
Preface <br /> Soil surveys contain information that affects land use planning in survey areas. They <br /> highlight soil limitations that affect various land uses and provide information about <br /> the properties of the soils in the survey areas. Soil surveys are designed for many <br /> different users, including farmers, ranchers, foresters, agronomists, urban planners, <br /> community officials, engineers, developers, builders, and home buyers. Also, <br /> conservationists, teachers, students, and specialists in recreation, waste disposal, <br /> and pollution control can use the surveys to help them understand,protect,or enhance <br /> the environment. <br /> Various land use regulations of Federal, State, and local governments may impose <br /> special restrictions on land use or land treatment. Soil surveys identify soil properties <br /> that are used in making various land use or land treatment decisions.The information <br /> is intended to help the land users identify and reduce the effects of soil limitations on <br /> various land uses.The landowner or user is responsible for identifying and complying <br /> with existing laws and regulations. <br /> Although soil survey information can be used for general farm, local, and wider area <br /> planning, onsite investigation is needed to supplement this information in some cases. <br /> Examples include soil quality assessments (http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/) and certain <br /> conservation and engineering applications. For more detailed information, contact <br /> your local USDA Service Center(http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app? <br /> agency=nres) or your NRCS State Soil Scientist (http://soils.usda.gov/contact/ <br /> state_offices/). <br /> Great differences in soil properties can occur within short distances. Some soils are <br /> seasonally wet or subject to flooding. Some are too unstable to be used as a <br /> foundation for buildings or roads.Clayey orwet soils are poorly suited to use as septic <br /> tank absorption fields. A high water table makes a soil poorly suited to basements or <br /> underground installations. <br /> The National Cooperative Soil Survey is ajoint effort of the United States Department <br /> of Agriculture and other Federal agencies, State agencies including the Agricultural <br /> Experiment Stations, and local agencies. The Natural Resources Conservation <br /> Service (NRCS) has leadership for the Federal part of the National Cooperative Soil <br /> Survey. <br /> Information about soils is updated periodically. Updated information is available <br /> through the NRCS Soil Data Mart Web site or the NRCS Web Soil Survey. The Soil <br /> Data Mart is the data storage site for the official soil survey information. <br /> The U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs <br /> and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where <br /> applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual <br /> orientation,genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an <br /> individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited <br /> bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means <br /> 2 <br />