To complete your soil evaluation, you will need a copy of your county's soil survey report. This report is available at county offices of the Cooperative Extension Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) or Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD).
Step 1: Start by locating your farmstead on the detailed soil map sheets (the aerial photo background) in the soil survey, note the soil map unit at your location on the photo and look up information related to that soil in the soil survey.
Step 2: With this information in hand, you are ready to answer the following questions:
1. Please identify the texture of the soil surface ('A' horizon or upper 6-10 inches):
2.Please identify the texture of the sub-soil (the most clayey B horizon):
3. Please identify the soil on the basis of Organic content.
3a) Does the soil mapping unit description in the soil survey indicate moderate or severe erosion (Don't answer this question if you use the actual organic matter or carbon from soil test results)
4. What is the pH value for the soil surface? (A horizon)
5. What is the depth of the soil solum? (See the "Classification of Soils" section of the soil survey. This information is often in the text below the profile description)
5a) Is rock present at 30-40 inches below the soil surface?
6. Please identify the permeability of the slowest subsoil horizon (From the rable of "Physical and Chemical properties of Soils" of your county soil survey)
7.Natural soil drainage class (In the "Map Unit Descriptions or Classification of Soils")
Part 2: Evaluating subsurface and geologic materials on your farmstead:
This part looks at the subsurface and geologic materials beneath your farmstead. It requires two items of information, which may be available from the soil survey reprt, although this varies from county to county. You may also obtain this information from your well construction report or those of neighboring farms, or from published geological report for your county:
8. What is the 'Depth to ground water' for your site?
9. Please identify the description that best suits your soil type: