This Survey assesses the environmental risk posed by your site based on your answers to the survey questions below. Please answer all questions for a fair evaluation.

Part-A: Evaluating soil type and depth:

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):

Loam, silt Loam, sandy clay loam, silt
Clay, silty clay, clay loam, silty clay loam,sandy clay
Loamy very fine sand, very fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam
Sand, loamy sand, sand loam, organic matrerials, and all textural classes with coarse fragment class modifiers (such as "gravelly loam")
Corresponding magnitude of risk

2.Please identify the texture of the sub-soil (the most clayey B horizon):

Clay,silty clay, sandy clay, silt
Sandy clay loam, loam, silt loam, clay loam, silt clay loam
Loamy very fine sand, very fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam
Sand,loamy sand, sandy loam organic materials, and all textural classes with coarse fragment modifiers(such as "gravelly loam")
Corresponding magnitude of risk

3. Please identify the soil on the basis of Organic content.

The surface texture is muck or peat, soil is less than 20 inches to bedrock Corresponding magnitude of risk
(if the first group is not applicable to your soil type, then you may be able to obtain the following information from a soil test report for your farmstead, the Physical and Chemical Properties table in the soil survey, or from your NRCS office.)
Select here
Organic Matter (%)
Organic Carbon
Corresponding magnitude of risk
high (4-10%)
2.32-5.8
medium (2-4%)
1.16-2.32
moderately low (1-2%)
0.58-1.16
low(0.5%-1%)
0.29-0.58
very low (less than 0.5%)
less than 0.29

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)

Yes
No
Corresponding magnitude of risk

4. What is the pH value for the soil surface? (A horizon)

6.6 or greater
Less than 6.6
Corresponding magnitude of risk

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)

Greater than 60 inches
40-6 inches
30-40 inches
Less than 30 inches
Corresponding magnitude of risk

5a) Is rock present at 30-40 inches below the soil surface?

Yes
No
Corresponding magnitude of risk

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)

0.06 to 0.6 inches/hour
0.6 to2.0 inches/hourt
2.0 to 20.0 inches/hour
Greater than 20.0 inches/hour
Corresponding magnitude of risk

7.Natural soil drainage class (In the "Map Unit Descriptions or Classification of Soils")

Well drained
Moderately well drained
Somewhat poorly drained, poorly, and very poorly drained, somewhat excessively and excessively drained
Corresponding magnitude of risk

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?

0-30 feet
More than 30 feet
Corresponding magnitude of risk

9. Please identify the description that best suits your soil type:

Loam,clay loam,glacial till,loess deposits,fine textured lakebed deposits
Sandy loam till,interbedded with sands and gravel
Coarse texture,sand and gravel outwash
Fractured limestone bedrock,sink holes present
Sandstone, shale bedrock
Corresponding magnitude of risk

Soil Rank
Sub-surface Rank
Overall Rank
Magnitude of Risk

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