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NSSH Part 608
Program
Management
Definition and Purpose (608.00)
- Definition. Soil survey program management is the administrative
phase of the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) that provides a
systematic approach and guidelines for administering and coordinating
soil survey activities.
- Purpose. Soil survey program management ensures the effective
planning, scheduling, coordination, and organization needed to produce
and maintain quality soil survey information, initiated as timely and
as efficiently as possible. All initial, update, and Major Land
Resource Area (MLRA) soil surveys
are to be managed on a project basis.
Responsibilities and Organization (608.01)
This section describes the roles of the various offices within NRCS.
Soil scientists and other specialists carry out soil survey activities
at numerous management and technical support levels within the NRCS and
through coordination with National Cooperative Soil Survey partners.
Additional information about responsibilities at various levels of the
organization can be found in the
General Manual, Title 430, Part 402.
- National Soil Survey Center (NSSC).
The National Soil Survey Center includes five functional areas: Soil
Survey Laboratory, Soil Classification and Standards, Soil Survey
Technical Services, Soil Survey Investigations, and Soil Survey
Interpretations. The National Leaders, under the direction of the NSSC
Director or the Soil Survey Division Director, are responsible for
functions in their respective areas; coordinating national technical
standards, policy, and procedures that guide soil survey operations;
training; investigations and laboratory assistance; and maintaining
soil survey data and information systems, all in support of the
National Cooperative Soil Survey program.
- MLRA Soil Survey Regional Offices (MO).
- leads in the production and quality assurance of soil survey
information;
- leads in classification, correlation, interpretations, and joining
of spatial and attribute data
within and between MLRA soil survey areas;
- provides quality assurance of maps, manuscripts, official series
descriptions, and databases in the region; and
- coordinates with federal lands agencies to assure that both NCSS
standards and partner needs are met.
- National Cartography and Geospatial Center (NCGC).
- assists in the acquisition and processing of aerial and orthophotography;
- develops standards, specifications, and provides quality assurance for spatial soil data
capture;
- prepares film negatives for soil survey maps;
- coordinates soil survey publications;
- maintains digital files of soil survey area boundaries for
publishing and distributing graphics depicting status of soil surveys;
and
- provides assistance to the National Cooperative Soil Survey
program in the development and application of new technology related
to cartography, remote sensing, GPS, and geospatial data.
- National Geospatial and Development Center (NGDC).
- develops and integrates spatial science and technologies that
bring the full wealth of soil and resource data and information to the
user community;
- researches and develops technologies to improve the detail and
accuracy of modern soil surveys and resource inventories;
- researches and develops field-based technologies for efficient
data collection, database management, and mapping and analysis
technologies, including spatial data mining, geostatistics, and
multivariate spatial statistics;
- develops and tests web-based map services that improve information
delivery;
- develops and tests information display systems that facilitate its
interpretation, understanding, and use; and
- implements applications that are functional and user-friendly.
- State Offices.
As program managers, state soil scientists:
- advise and assist their state conservationist in allocating
resources as effectively as possible to carry out both the soil survey
and technical soil services in their state;
- provide technical soil services within their state;
- develop local soil interpretations;
- direct (and in some instances supervise) resource soil scientists;
- supervise MLRA Soil Survey Office leaders located within the
state;
- develop cooperative relationships and serve as liaisons to the
State Cooperative Soil Survey cooperators and to the MLRA Soil Survey
Regional
Offices;
- evaluate existing soil surveys and identify deficiencies;
- serve as a member of the MLRA Soil Survey Area Management Team
for all MLRA Soil Survey Offices serving the state (see parts 610.03 and
610.04 for more
details);
- monitor progress to ensure that work schedules and timelines are
being met according to the plan of operations;
- develop schedules to meet soil survey program objectives and to
assist the state conservationist in technical soil services activities
for conservation operations; and
- in general, assist all users of soil survey information.
- Area and Field Offices.
Resource soil scientists and other specialists:
- provide coordinated soil information to all users;
- respond to user needs for new interpretations and collect
performance data;
- evaluate the adequacy of soil survey information;
- provide support for USDA programs and to MLRA soil survey offices;
- assist field offices with technical soil services;
- update and maintain the field office technical guide; and
- train field personnel in the use of soil survey information.
- MLRA Soil Survey Offices.
- MLRA soil survey leaders:
- schedule routine work activities in plans of operations and
monthly and weekly schedules, as appropriate, in consultation with the
responsible state soil scientist and MLRA Soil Survey Regional Office;
- provide leadership for the MLRA Soil Survey Area Technical Team;
- support updating of soil surveys within and among MLRA
administrative areas;
- provide management and support of soil survey activities over a
large geographic region;
- keep soil survey maps and data throughout their assigned area
current to meet the changing needs of users;
- improve the quality of digital line work to conform to the latest
landscape models;
- perform investigations throughout the MLRA(s), maintain soil
survey datasets, and prepare and revise official series descriptions
for processing;
- conduct quality control of all soil survey activities in the MLRA
Soil Survey Area, including any initial or extensive update soil
surveys conducted from satellite offices;
- develop long-range plans, project plans, annual plans, and schedules;
- supervise staff members; and
- conduct work in a manner that follows NCSS standards, policy, and
procedure.
- Staffing
- soil scientists; and
- in some instances, other professionals in related disciplines
such as GIS, range science, etc.
- Soil Survey Project Offices.
These offices are established only with the concurrence of the
Director of the Soil Survey Division, when there is a special need
that cannot be met by the MLRA Soil Survey Office. In limited
instances, where previously completed survey areas require extensive
revision, a project soil survey office may be established as a subset
of the MLRA Soil Survey Office. However, it is Soil Survey Division
policy to transition all field operations into MLRA Soil Survey
Offices as soon as is practical.
- Soil survey project leaders for initial surveys:
- schedule routine work activities in plans of operations and
monthly and weekly schedules, as appropriate, in consultation with the
responsible state soil scientist and MLRA Soil Survey Office;
- manage their project within the context of the overall MLRA Soil
Survey Area and participate in quality control activities performed
by the MLRA Soil Survey Office;
- carry out mapping and related field data collections and
investigations needed to complete initial soil surveys;
- conduct day-to-day quality control at the field level in a manner that
follows NCSS policy, standards, and procedures; and
- prepare maps, collect performance data, document map unit
composition, develop and maintain databases, prepare taxonomic
descriptions, and prepare manuscripts and tables to meet the
requirements of the soil survey and that are coordinated with the
MLRA Soil Survey Area.
- Digitizing Units.
NRCS digitizing units are responsible for digitizing soils data,
quality control of digital data, and certification review of final
spatial data, including tabular data and metadata, for soil surveys.
(see part 647).
- Digital Map Finishing Sites.
NRCS digital map finishing sites are responsible for the quality
control and electronic preparation of soil maps for publication of
initial and update soil surveys. (see part 647).
Soil Survey Area Designation (608.02)
- Definition.
- A soil survey area is a geographic (spatial) area that has a
size and shape defined for efficient field operations and timely
release of products. A soil survey area is an administrative unit
for project management (staffing and equipment), progress reporting,
and delivery of products.
- Soil survey area coverage includes all lands of the United
States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin
Territories.
- Soil survey areas have a unique name and identification number
registered in NASIS. Refer to part 608.03.
- MLRA soil survey areas follow physiographic boundaries
reflecting natural features such as similar soils, geology, land use
and climate. They are the basis for soil survey legend development
to meet interpretive needs and for all related classification,
correlation, and quality assurance functions.
- In some instances soil survey project areas are designed as
subsets of MLRA soil survey areas to allow for completion of special
projects (generally initial or extensive revisions) within about 5
years.
- Boundary Designation.
- Cooperating agencies of the National Cooperative Soil Survey
designate the boundaries of soil survey areas in consultation with
major users of soil information.
- The boundaries of MLRA soil survey areas generally encompass one
MLRA, but may consist of more than one MLRA, or part of an MLRA where
it is large in extent.
- The boundaries of project soil survey areas correspond to county
boundaries, physiographic boundaries, tribal boundaries, federal
agency management boundaries, or other land management areas.
- Two or more small counties may be combined to form the survey
area; or
- Large counties and physiographic areas may subdivide for
efficiency of field operations and publication of a final product.
- Re-designating Soil Survey Areas.
- A large percentage of the nation has completed the initial soil
survey. The boundaries used for these initial soil survey areas can be
changed by the state soil scientist, in consultation with National
Cooperative Soil Survey cooperators.
- Considerations for defining boundaries include:
- efficiency of managing legends and databases for different and
overlapping spatial areas in the information system;
- project management for extensive updating (personnel and
equipment);
- timely and efficient delivery of the final product; and
- other factors important to cooperators.
- Small Geographic Areas.
- Special management areas such as small political subdivisions,
areas of tribal lands, and federal management areas are ordinarily
handled as special projects or subsets (overlaps) of a larger soil
survey area.
- State soil scientists designate small geographic areas as soil
survey areas.
- Refer to part 608.08 for guidance on legend administration and
acreage management in the Soil Survey Schedule.
- National Coverage.
- For purposes of status graphics and soil business and program
analysis, the National Cartography and Geospatial Center (NCGC)
maintains a digital (spatial) layer of:
- all MLRA soil survey areas;
- current initial soil survey areas;
- update soil survey areas requiring extensive revision; and
- original initial soil survey areas.
- State soil scientists coordinate boundary changes with the
National Cartography and Geospatial Center as they occur. Refer to
part 608.10.
Soil Survey Area Names and Symbols (608.03)
- Application of names.
Soil survey areas receive a unique name and identification number that
is used in the National Soil Information System (NASIS), in
cooperative agreements, memoranda of understanding, all survey area
publications, correlation documents, and other official reports and
correspondence.
- Registration.
The state soil scientist and MLRA Soil Survey Regional Office Leader coordinate
the soil survey area names and symbols with the National Soil Survey
Center for registration in the National Soil Information System. The
name is not to exceed 135 characters.
- Identifying Soil Survey Areas in the Schedule.
- Soil survey areas use established conventions to identify soil
survey areas in the Soil Survey Schedule. Each soil survey area
receives a unique alpha-numeric identification code or “Area Symbol”
that identifies the soil survey area data set in NASIS, as well as in
the Soil Data Warehouse and Soil Data Marts.
- Soil survey areas that corresponds to a single county, parish, or
independent city boundary: The symbol consists of the state
abbreviation followed by the Federal Information Processing Standards
(FIPS) code for the county, parish, or independent city.
- For all other soil survey areas:
Use the state abbreviation and assign a unique 600, 700, or 800 number
in lieu of the FIPS code. The FIPS codes are in the Federal
Information Processing Standards Publication Series of the National
Bureau of Standards, U.S. Department of Commerce.
- Below are examples of names and symbols for soil survey areas that
have differing boundary designations:
- MLRA Soil Survey Area corresponds to a single Major Land Resource
Area. MLRA soil survey areas are identified by up to 7 characters; the
prefix “SS” followed by the MLRA symbol and its subdivision, if
necessary.
- Southern Blue Ridge (SS0130B)
- Red River Valley of the North (SS0056)
- MLRA Soil Survey Area corresponds to multiple Major Land Resource
Areas.
- Northern Coastal Plain and Northern Tidewater Area (SS0149A)
- Southern California Mountains and Southern California Coastal Plain
(SS0020)
- MLRA Soil Survey Area corresponds to parts of one or more Major
Land Resource Areas.
- Atlantic Coast Flatwoods and Tidewater Area, Southern Part
(SS0153A-1)
- Ontario-Erie Plain and Finger Lakes Region and Glaciated Allegheny
Plateau and Catskill Mountains (SS0140-1)
- Soil Survey Area corresponds to a single county boundary.
- Baldwin County, Alabama (AL003)
- Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana (LA109)
- Soil Survey Area corresponds to two or more county boundaries.
- Beaver and Lawrence Counties, Pennsylvania (PA603)
- James City and York Counties and the City of Williamsburg, Virginia
(VA695)
- Soil Survey Area includes only part of a single county.
Select a name that clearly distinguishes the survey area from other
survey areas in the county, or from adjoining counties. If a clear
designation cannot be made, use the term “Area” to indicate that the
survey area boundary does not include the entire county.
- Nye County, Nevada, Southwest Part (NV785)
- Socorro County Area, New Mexico (NM664)
- Soil Survey Area includes parts of two or more counties in one
state.
Use the name of a well-known place or geographic feature, and list the
counties.
- Jicarilla Apache Area, New Mexico, Parts of Rio Arriba and Sandoval
Counties (NM698)
- Wenatchee National Forest, Naches Area, Washington, Parts of
Kittitas and Yakima Counties (WA680)
- Soil Survey Area includes all of one or more counties and part
of another.
- Soil Survey of Curry County and Southwest Part of Quay County, New
Mexico (NM669)
- Menifee and Rowan Counties and Northwestern Morgan County, Kentucky
(KY632)
- Soil Survey Area includes parts of two or more counties in
adjoining states.
Note: In order to maintain acreage integrity for all states, separate
Legend entries are made in the Soil Survey Schedule for survey areas
that cross state boundaries.
- Duck Valley Indian Reservation, Idaho and Nevada (ID677)
- Duck Valley Indian Reservation, Idaho and Nevada (NV798)
- Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina
(TN640)
- Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina
(NC640)
- Soil Survey Area in a region with no counties.
Use the name of a
well-known place or geographic feature in the area.
- San German Area, Southwestern Puerto Rico (PR787)
- North Star Area, Alaska (AK642)
Limited and Denied Access Areas (608.04)
- Limited Access Areas.
- Soil survey area coverage includes all lands (refer to
part
608.02), and the goal of the National Cooperative Soil Survey is to
survey all lands. Many survey areas include parts that have
difficult or limited access to personnel conducting field
operations, and occasionally landowners deny access to their
property.
- Do not necessarily exclude land from a soil survey area based on
difficult or limited access or because of difficulty in obtaining
permission to gain access. Use all available resources, such as old
soil survey maps (if available), geology and topographic maps,
aerial photography, and other available remote sensing materials to
apply common field procedures and techniques to delineate map units.
- For relatively small areas, mapping surrounding lands and
projecting soil lines across the area of denied access may be
feasible.
- For relatively large areas, more broadly defined map units may
be appropriate. In these cases, describe the reduced reliability
in the map unit description.
- Surveying Denied Access Areas.
State soil scientists, in consultation with the state conservationist
and local cooperators, determine the feasibility of mapping areas of
denied access. Reliability of the mapping for anticipated use and
interpretations should be the final determining factor.
- Judgment should be used in deciding whether to attempt to gain
permission to map areas of denied access. In some instances, such as
areas restricted for national security purposes or where there is a
desire by Native American officials for some tribal lands to remain
unmapped, the decision may be made to not pursue the issue further.
- In situations other than those described in (1) above, use all
reasonable means to obtain permission to map. Enlist the aid of
community leaders, district cooperators and supervisors, county and
state officials, and others, as appropriate.
- If reasonable efforts to gain access are unsuccessful, apply
techniques and resources discussed above in part 608.04(a) to map
the area.
- Reporting Denied Access Areas.
- Delineate the area as a map unit with a name “Area not surveyed,
access denied.”
- In the map unit description, tactfully describe the rationale
for not mapping the area.
- Include the symbol and the acreage in the soil survey acreage
table of the final report.
- Acreage is reported as mapping progress using standard
progress reporting procedures.
- In rare instances where the area of denied access is very
large, the soil survey area may be revised to exclude the unmapped
area. Acres are not reported.
- General Soil Maps.
Whether or not areas are excluded from detailed mapping, do not
exclude areas from the general soil map for the survey area and the
U.S. General Soil Map (STATSGO2) database. Use standard procedures for
delineating general soil map and STATSGO2 map units. The STATSGO2 map
is the basis for the survey area general soil maps.
Determining Workloads (608.05)
- The NRCS General Manual Title 340 describes agency policy for
workload analysis. Other cooperating agencies have their own policy
for workload analysis.
- The workload analysis planning process.
The workload analysis planning process considers the work to be done,
estimates the amount of time required to complete each task, and
provides a timetable for completing the work.
- A Long-Range Plan of Operations for initial soil survey projects
(or update soil surveys requiring extensive revision) details the
activities needed to complete the project in approximately 2 to 5
years. (See Exhibit 608-1).
- An Annual Plan of Operations for initial soil survey projects
(or update soil surveys requiring extensive revision) is used to
guide and provide specific focus to staff as the Long-Range Plan is
being implemented. (See Exhibit 608-2).
- (3) A long-range plan for the MLRA Soil Survey Area considers
all aspects of bringing all soil surveys in the area to a common
standard to meet user needs. (See Exhibit 608-3
and Exhibit 608-4). In addition to the needs of
the private lands in the area, it should include the needs
identified by the cooperators responsible for the federal lands
within the area so that a coordinated effort is achieved in all soil
survey work.
- A Project Plan for an MLRA Soil Survey Area is used for planning
to accomplish one or more of the highest priority needs within about
a 2 to 5 year period. (See Exhibit 608-5).
- An Annual Plan of Operations (or Business Plan) is used to
identify objectives, goals, responsibilities and timelines during a
fiscal year.
Priorities for Soil Surveys (608.06)
- State cooperative soil survey conferences, led by the State Soil
Scientist, convene annually to
discuss soil survey activities, consider the priorities of all
cooperators, and recommend action. Other interested user groups
recommend priorities, such as for special or interim soil reports.
Considerations for preparing the priority list are:
- status of initial soil surveys and update soil surveys requiring
extensive revision,
- NRCS needs for carrying out technical assistance programs and
projects,
- cooperating agency needs for meeting their program and project
needs,
- requests for soil surveys by local people,
- needs of federal partners on federal lands,
- needs for information that aids in land use planning and
decisions,
- rapid land use changes in areas where critical soil problems are
expected,
- contributions of funds or staffing,
- needs for tax evaluation, and
- other factors of specific local importance.
- State soil scientists, in cooperation with lead scientists of
cooperating partners, the MLRA Soil Survey Regional Office leader,
and the MLRA Soil Survey Office leader work with the above
information to evaluate the needs for each MLRA Soil Survey Area
(see 610.03). Where federal lands are
included within the MLRA soil survey area, it is important to
coordinate with appropriate representatives of those agencies.
- The MLRA Soil Survey Area Technical Team, made up of the MLRA
Soil Survey Office staff, Soil Data Quality Specialists, Resource
Soil Scientists, applicable NCSS partner soil scientists, and if
needed, other discipline specialists, consolidate each state’s needs
into a list for the MLRA Soil Survey Area.
- The MLRA Management Team, consisting of the State Soil
Scientists for each state serviced by the MLRA Soil Survey Office,
and if applicable, Federal NCSS partners responsible for federal
lands in the area, determine which of the identified needs are the
highest priority. The MLRA Soil Survey Regional Office leader is
also included in the process of priority setting. These are reviewed
with the Board of Directors (or applicable subset of the Board) for
concurrence. The Management Team then provides guidance and support
to the MLRA Soil Survey Technical Team to incorporate the priorities
into one or more individual project plans to be completed over about
a 2 to 5 year period.
- The long-range plan is revised periodically as work progresses
and new information or unforeseen circumstances arise. Additional
issues to be addressed may come from a variety of sources, such as
Resource Soil Scientists, field offices, cooperators, customers, the
MO, or State Soil Scientists. Reports from the Soil Data Mart or
NASIS may also reveal issues and deficiencies to be prioritized and
addressed. As identified projects are completed, the MLRA Management
Team provides guidance as to the next priorities to be addressed by
the MLRA Soil Survey Office staff and new project plans are
developed.
- Give consideration to the lead time required to prepare the
geospatial data and analyze existing information.
Planning Workflow (608.07)
The MLRA project plan directs the use of
resources over a period of about 2 to 5 years to accomplish identified
activities. This is required for all MLRA soil surveys. The plan
identifies the activities that are to be accomplished during the time
period covered by the plan. The plan includes the responsibility for
each activity, projected completion dates, and goals.
Exhibits 608-1 through 6 show sample formats for
long-range plans, a project evaluation ranking procedure, project plans, and annual plans of operations for
initial soil surveys or update soil surveys requiring extensive revision and for MLRA
soil surveys. Adapt them to fit the needs identified for the soil survey
area.
Part 610.02 contains information about
workflow for updating by MLRA soil survey area.
Soil Survey Schedule (608.08)
-
Definition.
The Soil Survey Schedule is a program management tool within the
National Soil Information System (NASIS) for planning, managing, and
tracking status, milestone events, and progress of the National
Cooperative Soil Survey.
-
Program managers use information in the Soil Survey
Schedule to assess workloads, develop activity schedules and budgets,
and plan for resources needed to complete the national soil inventory
and related databases.
-
The schedule lists all non-MLRA soil survey areas in
NASIS, as defined in parts 608.02 and 608.03.
-
Legends for each survey area contain administrative and
other data that track the key business processes of the survey from
field data collection through final publication.
-
Various soil survey business areas populate progress in
the schedule related to their individual areas of responsibility, and
use information from the schedule to plan and manage their operations.
See 608.08(b)(4) for a list of soil survey business areas.
-
Responsibilities.
Data stewards for the various soil survey business areas are responsible
for populating data elements and ensuring data quality in the Soil
Survey Schedule. Soil survey business areas include all
inventory-related activities at the field level, and support and
enabling activities for generating soil survey products.
- The business area responsible for either initiating or completing a
soil survey business process also is responsible for populating
appropriate data elements and reporting progress associated with the
process.
- Exhibit 608-7, Soil Survey Schedule Business Area Responsibilities,
identifies broad soil survey business processes, along with associated
data elements and the business area that is responsible for populating
the schedule. Some data elements in Exhibit 608-7 indicate more than one
responsible business area; for these situations, the appropriate
business area program managers designate the responsible data steward.
- State and MLRA Soil Survey Regional Office program managers may delegate
responsibility to populating some data elements to the field. For
example, project soil survey offices may be designated to report mapping
and compilation progress for their survey area.
- Designated business areas and key Soil Survey Schedule
responsibilities are:
- State Offices – Legend administration, identify imagery, orthophotography, digital elevation models (DEM) and other base map
materials, and coordinate mapping goals and progress reporting for soil
survey areas with the MLRA Soil Survey Regional Office.
- MLRA Soil Survey Regional Offices – legend administration for MLRA soil survey
areas, progress related to field reviews and correlations, and reporting
compilation certification status.
- National Soil Survey Center – NASIS technical support,
coordination with Information Technology Center, maintenance of area
symbols and acreage, and soils hotline.
- National Office – policy and guidance for soil survey program,
including fund allocations, progress reporting, and Soil Survey Schedule
oversight.
- Digitizing Units – SSURGO digitizing and certification reviews.
- Digital Map Finishing Sites – digital map finishing for soil
surveys.
- National Cartography and Geospatial Center – soil survey program
support for imagery and orthophotography acquisition, map compilation
materials, publication of soil survey products, distribution of SSURGO
(Gateway), SSURGO and digital map
finishing standards, status graphics, and digital elevation models and
geospatial web services.
- Editors – English edit of manuscripts.
-
Accessing the Soil Survey Schedule.
- The Soil Survey Schedule and soil survey area legends are accessible
through the conventional National Soil Information System interface.
- The interface provides authorized users with full capability to
create, edit, and report data.
- Individuals accessing the data in this way need to be extremely
careful not to populate or change data that falls under the
responsibility of another business unit.
- Access is also available via a web-based application that provides
authorized users with limited capability to manage data and generate
programmed reports.
- Web access is at: http://ssschedule.nrcs.usda.gov.
- A web login and password can be obtained by contacting the soils
hotline at (402) 437-5378 or by email at:
hotline@lin.usda.gov.
-
Schedule Management.
Exhibit 608-7 identifies soil survey business areas and related data
elements, including key terminology and protocols, necessary for
administration and maintenance of the schedule. Exhibit 608-7 provides
an overview of the data elements and responsible soil survey business
areas in the schedule.
-
Soil Survey Performance Measurement.
The NRCS Performance Results System (PRS) is the official progress
reporting instrument used by the agency to prepare national-level
reports. Agency-accountable items such as soil mapping progress,
first-time archival of SSURGO digitizing, and public release of soil
surveys are assembled from the Soil Survey Schedule and the Soil Data
Mart nightly and automatically uploaded to the PRS. Goals for these
agency-accountable items are also taken from NASIS and recorded in the
PRS.
Other data from the Soil Survey Schedule is used to assess program
performance and analyze budgets. Examples include signed memoranda of
understanding, progress reviews and correlations completed, manuscripts
edited, acres compiled and digitized, and the status of imagery and
orthophotography acquisition. Both individual and business area
performance can be analyzed.
- Performance Goals.
- At the beginning of the fiscal year, establish individual and team
goals for soil survey business functions.
- In addition to initial and update soil surveys, mapping goals may
be set for non-project survey areas based on anticipated requests for
conservation planning. Refer to Exhibit 608-6 for more discussion about
goal setting.
- State program managers and supervisors:
- Base performance goals on the individuals’ job description,
experience, training, complexity, and other factors;
- Monitor progress throughout the year; and
- Revise individual or team performance goals as needed, in consultation
with the employee(s).
- Set performance goals for:
- technical services and soil survey support activities;
- mapping goals – do not include large water bodies (census water);
however, report census water acres as a land category administrative
action;
- database development;
- correlations; and
- manuscript development.
- Progress and Progress Reporting.
- Soil survey progress records the inventory of the nation’s soil
resources, development of related databases, soil survey products, and
interpretative materials.
- Soil survey program managers are responsible for ensuring that
progress is reported.
- Reportable items include all activities, including intermediate
products that lead to a final product meeting National Cooperative Soil
Survey standards.
- acres mapped;
- correlations completed;
- acres compiled and digitized; and
- manuscripts edited.
- Report progress in the Soil Survey Schedule as it occurs. As a
minimum, report mapping progress quarterly, and all other progress
monthly.
- Mapping Progress.
- Refer to Exhibit 608-6 for more discussion about reporting mapping
progress.
- Discuss progress reporting issues with the Soil Survey Schedule
manager in the Soil Survey Division Headquarters before revising.
- For each soil survey area, enter mapping progress into the schedule by
land category (refer to acreage accountability below).
- The reporting date entered in the Legend Mapping Progress Table
determines the fiscal year for which progress is counted.
- Report progress as initial or update mapping.
- Distinguish NRCS from cooperator personnel.
- Enter each individual’s progress (preferable) or the project team’s as
a whole.
- Initial soil surveys are closely monitored (i.e., once-over surveys).
Report initial mapping progress only once and never delete it from the
system once it is reported, except for data entry errors that are
immediately recognized and corrected.
- Upon completion of the initial soil survey, all initial acres that are
reported as progress should equal the land category acres and the sum of
all land category acres should equal the soil survey area acres.
-
Legend Administration and Acreage Management.
The National Soil Information System (NASIS) provides a variety of ways
in which legends can be managed. Therefore, in order for the system to
function optimally, a uniform approach is required.
Soil survey area legends that are linked to Non-MLRA Soil Survey Areas
provide data for the Soil Survey Schedule. The Schedule accommodates
multiple legends for the same (spatial) survey area, or for overlapping
survey areas; however, the schedule only maintains the official legend
and any legacy legend(s) for survey areas. Copies of official legends
can be linked to a locally created area type. However, these types of
legends are not to be linked to the Non-MLRA Soil Survey Areas owned by
Pangaea.
- Unique Spatial Areas.
- All survey areas represent a unique geographical (spatial) area,
i.e., an entire county; they receive a unique area symbol and area name
(see parts 608.02 and 608.03).
- Legends that represent the same geographical area use the same area
symbol and area name.
- For survey areas having multiple legends, the soil survey area
status identifies the most current legend, as discussed in 608.08(d).
- Exhibit 608-6 provides additional discussion and examples of
various legend scenarios and protocols.
- Acreage Accountability.
NRCS annual congressional appropriations are limited to non-federal
lands, including Tribal and Trust Territories. The cost of soil survey
activities by NRCS on federal lands must be reimbursed to the agency.
However, the NRCS as federal lead for the National Cooperative Soil
Survey maintains records of soil survey mapping for all lands of the
nation.
- Seven land categories distinguish between non-federal and federal
ownership. Additionally, federal lands are categorized according to the
responsible federal land management agency.
- Native American land
- Other non-federal land
- Bureau of Land Management
- U. S. Forest Service
- National Park Service
- Other federal land
- census water
- Refer to Exhibit 608-6 for definitions of the land categories and
for additional discussion of acreage management and accountability.
- Acreage Allocation.
Federal and private land ownership and their acreages constantly change.
State program managers must periodically access land ownership for all
soil survey areas.
- If ownership acres have changed in a soil survey area:
- Re-allocate acreage assigned to the seven land categories.
- Re-allocate progress assigned to each land category.
- The sum of all land category acres equals the state-total 1992
National Resource Inventory.
- To re-allocate acres for soil surveys with more than one legend or
that partially overlap with another survey, refer to the discussion of
acreage management and accountability in Exhibit 608-6.
- Acreage Base.
County-based 1992 National Resources Inventory (NRI) data for total
surface area (land and water) is used within NRCS for soil survey areas.
- Use the exact county-based figures or round to the nearest hundred.
- Coordinate acreage assigned to all survey areas with the National NASIS data steward at the National Soil Survey Center for inclusion in
NASIS.
-
Soil Survey Area Status.
The objective of the soil survey program is to complete the initial soil
survey and to improve current interpretative and spatial soil survey
information through an active evaluation and update program. The goal is
to reduce the number of surveys that are out-of-date or that are
designated as update needed at any given time. Refer to
part 610 for
additional discussion of updating soil surveys and for a sample
evaluation sheet.
Seven categories identify the operational activity status of soil survey
areas and currency of published soil information for non-MLRA soil
surveys. Program managers use status to identify workloads and ongoing
field activities, for tracking progress, and for making graphic
displays. The status assigned to soil survey areas containing federal
lands is made in consultation with the federal partner agency.
Soil survey area status categories and their definitions are:
- Non-project.
- Defined:
- initial mapping incomplete;
- no signed correlation document;
- staffing not assigned to complete the initial mapping and field
documentation within 3 to 5 years;
- soil mapping on individual tracts, as requested for conservation and
resource planning;
- soil mapping and documentation meet NCSS standards, just like initial
and update surveys;
- “non-project” is the status designation assigned to survey area
legends in the Soil Survey Schedule.
- Requirements:
- a soil survey area handbook that includes a provisional descriptive
legend (see part 627) containing a list of map units from within the MLRA and soil interpretations generated from NASIS;
- field reviews held at least once every 3-5 years to ensure that
mapping and interpretative materials meet National Cooperative Soil
Survey standards;
- technical assistance upon request.
- Initial.
- Defined:
- a signed MLRA region-wide memorandum of understanding (MOU) and other
local memoranda, as appropriate (see part 606);
- staffing is assigned to complete the initial mapping and field
documentation within 3 to 5 years;
- “non-project” is changed to “initial” status on the existing Legend in
the Soil Survey Schedule when the memorandum of understanding is signed
and staffing is assigned.
- Requirements:
- a long range plan details the activities needed to complete the
project in approximately 2 to 5 years;
- soils are mapped in contiguous blocks using map units from surrounding
surveys within the MLRA;
- a soil survey area handbook includes a descriptive legend (see
part
627) and soil interpretations generated from NASIS as progressive
correlation proceeds;
- routine quality assurance reviews by the responsible MLRA Soil
Survey Regional
Office and field assistance by the appropriate entity;
- progressive soil correlation with adjacent surveys within the MLRA;
- high quality digital orthophotography base maps, digital elevation
models (DEMS), and other base maps for digital soil survey mapping, and
where needed, high quality imagery for field investigations;
- mapping on hard copy aerial photography, subsequently compiling to orthophotography, and hand- or scan- digitizing are avoided if at all
possible. Field mapping is done using electronic media and on-screen
digitizing as much as possible to avoid these extra steps.
- results in a signed correlation document.
- Published.
- Defined:
- a traditional hard copy printed report, CD-ROM, DVD, web publication,
or other media as agreed to by National Cooperative Soil Survey
cooperators in the memorandum of understanding or project plan and
issued by a federal or state agency that meets the current needs of
users;
- change the survey area status from “initial” to “published” on the
existing Legend in the Soil Survey Schedule when the end publication
product specified in the project plan is available.
- Requirements:
- correlation document signed by the NRCS, based on Soil Taxonomy at the
time the soil survey was published;
- soil maps;
- map unit and taxonomic unit descriptions;
- soil interpretations generated from NASIS;
- a populated, certified data set as part of the national soil database.
- Periodic updating – published surveys require various degrees of
periodic updating:
- when only new or revised soil interpretations are needed, retain
“published” status;
- add the interpretations supplement to the published report.
- Out-of-Date.
- Defined:
- a published soil survey that no longer meets users’ needs and requires
extensive revision to the soil maps as defined in
part 610.04(a)(2)(i);
- a comprehensive evaluation documents deficiencies for the entire
survey area and National Cooperative Soil Survey cooperators agree on
the evaluation;
- the published soil survey is not targeted for immediate project soil
survey activities.
- Requirement:
- change the survey area status from “published” to “out-of-date” on the
existing Legend in the Soil Survey Schedule.
- Extensive Revision.
- Defined:
- a published soil survey that requires extensive revision, above and
beyond normal MLRA soil survey project updating as described in
part
610.04. Few surveys completed after about 1975 are expected to require
this level of update;
- an evaluation file identifies the needed revisions and maintenance;
- The survey area has a signed MLRA Region-wide or local memorandum of
understanding and staffing to complete the fieldwork within about 3 to
5years.
- Requirements:
- written permission from the Soil Survey Division Director to conduct
an extensive revision;
- a long-range plan detailing all activities needed to complete
the work within about a 5-year period;
- change the survey area status to “extensive revision” on the existing
Legend in the Soil Survey Schedule.
- Legend management of the map units are the same as for initial soil
surveys. Map units are added with a status of “provisional,” progress to
“approved,” and then are eventually “correlated” when the spatial data
is certified, the NASIS data is certified and both databases are ready
to send to the Soil Data Warehouse;
- Assign a status of “additional” to old map units that are replaced by
new map units;
- Refer to Exhibit 608-6 for additional guidelines on balancing land
category acres and State National Resource Inventory acreage
accountability.
- Additional characteristics of an extensive revision survey area
include:
- complete, systematically collected field data for the entire survey
area;
- re-mapping, as required, is based on the evaluation and memorandum of
understanding;
- a soil survey area handbook includes a descriptive legend (see
part
627) and soil interpretations generated from NASIS;
- routine quality assurance reviews are conducted by the responsible MLRA
Soil Survey Regional Office, and field assistance by the appropriate entity;
- progressive soil correlation within the context of the entire MLRA
Soil Survey Area;
- quality control functions are conducted by the MLRA Soil Survey
Office;
- updated correlation decisions are recorded in NASIS;
- the most current Keys to Soil Taxonomy is used;
- high quality digital orthophotography base maps, DEMs, and other base
maps for digital soil survey mapping, and, where needed, high quality
imagery for field investigations;
- mapping on hard copy aerial photography, subsequently compiling to orthophotography, and hand- or scan- digitizing are avoided if at all
possible. Field mapping is done using electronic media and on-screen
digitizing as much as possible to avoid these extra steps;
- updated maps, data, and interpretations are distributed through the
Soil Data Mart and Web Soil Survey;
- change the status of the legend to “published” when the final product
specified in the memorandum of understanding is available.
- Update Needed.
- Defined:
- a comprehensive evaluation documents deficiencies for the entire
survey area and National Cooperative Soil Survey cooperators agree on
the evaluation;
- at least part of the soil survey area needs revision (primarily to the
soil maps);
- along with needed changes to the soil maps, the survey generally
requires new or revised interpretations;
- the published soil survey is not targeted for immediate soil
survey update activities;
- the needed revisions are primarily to the soil maps. See
part
610.04(a)(2) for further discussion of each category:
- update,
- modernize the soil base map, or
- supplemental soil mapping.
- Requirement:
- change the survey area status from “published” to “update needed” on
the existing legend in the Soil Survey Schedule.
- Update.
- Defined:
- a soil survey with prior “published” or “update needed” status in
which staffing is now available to complete the work;
- change the survey area status from “published” or “update needed” on
the existing legend in the Soil Survey Schedule to “update” when
staffing from the MLRA soil survey office is assigned to complete the
work as part of a project;
- a new legend in the Soil Survey Schedule is not needed;
- revised maps and data are periodically posted to the Soil Data Mart
and Web Soil Survey.
- Requirements:
- update activities neither require an memorandum of understanding nor
result in a new correlation document;
- an evaluation file identifies the needed revisions and maintenance;
- correlation decisions that improve the coordination and joining of
soil maps and data within the MLRA are recorded in NASIS;
- legend management of the map units are the same as for initial soil
surveys. Map units are added with a status of “provisional,” progress to
“approved,” and then eventually are “correlated” when the spatial data
is certified, the NASIS data is certified and both databases are ready
to send to the Soil Data Warehouse;
- revised or supplemental mapping progress is reported on the existing
legend as “update mapping;”
- a long-range plan of operations;
- analysis of existing soil descriptions; laboratory data, and other
field data to the extent practical;
- complete, systematic collection of additional field data as required,
are based on the disposition of existing data and the initial evaluation
of update needed;
- routine quality assurance reviews are conducted by the responsible MLRA
Soil Survey Regional Office, and field assistance by the appropriate entity;
- high quality digital orthophotography base maps, DEMs, and other base
maps for digital soil survey mapping, and, where needed, high quality
imagery for field investigations;
- mapping on hard copy aerial photography, subsequently compiling to orthophotography, and hand- or scan- digitizing are avoided if at all
possible. Field mapping is done using electronic media and on-screen
digitizing as much as possible to avoid these extra steps;
- distribution of updated maps, data, and interpretations through the
Soil Data Mart and Web Soil Survey;
- change the status to “published” when all work is complete.
Developing Other Schedules for Soil Survey
Operations (608.09)
- Soil Survey Operations.
Schedules and timelines for soil survey activities are detailed in
project plans of operations, annual plans of operation, and monthly or
weekly schedules. Exhibit 608-1 identifies the
basic activities that must be completed for initial surveys.
Exhibit 608-4 is an example of potential activities
that may be planned for MLRA soil surveys.
- Soil survey leaders schedule soil survey activities and
coordinate routine work in consultation with the responsible state
soil scientist and MLRA Soil Survey Regional Office. Quality control
activities are carried out and documented by the MLRA Soil Survey
Leader.
- MLRA Soil Survey Regional Offices schedule quality assurance reviews and
field assistance visits in consultation with the MLRA Soil Survey
Offices, State Offices, and National Cooperative Soil Survey partners.
- Technical Soil Services.
- State offices and field offices develop annual plans of
operation and monthly or weekly schedules, as appropriate, for
technical soil services-related activities.
- Resource soil scientists and, in some instances, other soil
scientists assigned to nearby soil survey project offices provide
soil information as needed for conservation planning and other
special local needs. These efforts ensure efficient use of soil
scientist time and timely delivery of soil information.
- Individual Schedules.
- Individual soil scientists prepare monthly or weekly schedules, as
required by supervisors.
- These schedules include
- routine soil survey activities;
- training to be given and received;
- staff conferences; and
- information and public relations needs.
Status Maps (608.10)
Maps indicating the progress and status of soil survey operations and
soil survey products are extremely useful management and public
information tools. Maps may be on a national, regional, MLRA area, and
state basis. The primary source of attribute data for these maps is the
Soil Survey Schedule. The National Cartography and Geospatial Center (NCGC)
maintains base map cartographic information and spatial data for soil
survey areas.
(a) Responsibilities
The National Cartography and Geospatial Center (NCGC) is responsible
for publication and distribution of status maps. The Geospatial Data
Branch at the National Cartography and Geospatial Center maintains a
digital file of soil survey area boundaries for all legends listed in
the Soil Survey Schedule. States are responsible for assuring the
accuracy and completeness of survey area boundaries, and for initiating
revisions and corrections. The Geospatial Data Branch provides states
with a 1:500,000 scale US Geological Survey base map containing survey
area boundary coverage and coordinating instructions for revisions. The
Soil Survey Schedule is the primary source of attribute data for status
information. Part
608.08 identifies soil survey business areas that are responsible
for data element population and maintenance of the Soil Survey Schedule.
(b) Availability
Visit the site at
http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/status_data.html for maps in various
formats that indicate the status of soil surveys and soil survey
digitizing.
(c) Status of Soil Surveys Map
Maps indicating the progress and status of soil surveys and soil
survey products are important management and public relations tools.
Maps may be on a national, regional, MLRA region, and state basis.
- Source Data.
- The primary source of attribute data is the Soil Survey
Schedule. Part 608.08 identifies soil survey business areas that are
responsible for populating and maintaining the Soil Survey Schedule.
- Base map cartography and spatial data for soil survey areas is
maintained by the National Cartography and Geospatial Center (NCGC).
- Responsibilities.
- The National Cartography and Geospatial Center:
- publishes and distributes status maps;
- maintains a digital file of soil survey area boundaries for
all legends listed in the Soil Survey Schedule. Boundaries are
taken from SSURGO data archived on the Soil Data Mart.
- State Soil Scientists:
- assure the accuracy and completeness of other survey area
boundaries;
- initiate revisions and corrections.
- Availability.
Visit the NCGC site at http://www.ncgc.nrcs.usda.gov/ for maps in
various formats that indicate the status of soil surveys and soil
survey digitizing.
- Status of Soil Surveys Map.
The status of soil surveys portrays a map of the status of all
non-MLRA soil survey areas in the United States and its Trust
Territories. This map is typically updated at the beginning of each
fiscal year. Map legend categories include the status codes for survey
areas, as defined in part 608.08, and other progress data in the Soil
Survey Schedule.
- Standard map legend categories, colors, and a brief description.
- Published (dark green): subset publication issued, and it meets
user needs.
- Initial, Field Mapping In-progress (yellow): memorandum of
understanding signed for the initial subset comprehensive survey,
project leader and staff assigned, mapping and related field
activities underway.
- Initial, Field Mapping Complete (light green): subset mapping and
field data collection complete, correlation, manuscript development,
and map finishing underway.
- Extensive Revision, Field Work In-progress (light blue): long
range plan of work developed for a previously published subset survey,
project leader and staff assigned, field data collection and/or
mapping underway.
- Extensive Revision, Field Work Complete (orange): field data
collection and/or subset mapping complete, correlation, manuscript
development, and map finishing underway.
- Out-of-Date (red): an evaluation documents that published report
no longer meets user needs; extensive revision field work needed and
will result in a new subset correlation and publication.
- Update Needed (light goldenrod): an evaluation documents that
parts (primarily maps) of the published report require revisions;
plans for updating incomplete.
- Update In-Progress (dark khaki): an evaluation documents that
parts (primarily maps) of the published subset report require
revisions; staffing assigned and work underway.
- Non-project (white): plans for a comprehensive project survey
incomplete.
- Additional information on the map includes:
- Date: Status as of “mm/yy”
- Legend Count and Percent: Total number of surveys in each legend
status and percent of total area
- Status of Soil Survey Digitizing (SSURGO) Map.
The Status of Soil Survey Digitizing (SSURGO) map portrays
progress of the National Digitizing Initiative. Digital soil data for
surveys under this initiative is a high priority for national and
local users. This map is updated monthly by the National Cartography
and Geospatial Center. The map shows progress
toward SSURGO certification and archiving, as outlined in
part 647.
Surveys authorized as a digitizing initiative should be SSURGO
certified within one to two years.
Map legend categories cite milestone events in the SSURGO
development process, and status reflects progress data recorded in the
Soil Survey Schedule.
- The standard map legend categories, official ARC/INFO colors, and
a brief description are:
- Authorized Initiative (BURLYWOOD [a light brown]): soil survey
funded for SSURGO development from special national allocations; or,
the survey is a state priority without special national funding and
authorized by the Director, Soil Survey Division.
- Compilation in Progress (LIGHT SKY BLUE [a pale blue]):
compilation of polygons and special features underway.
- Compilation Complete (CYAN [a bright blue]): compilation of
polygons and special features complete, and certified by the MLRA Soil
Survey Regional Office.
- Digitizing Complete (TOMATO [a pale orange red]): digital data
capture complete for all spatial (area, point, linear) data. Survey
ready for quality control review (check plot review and error
correction).
- Digital Review in Progress (GOLD [a dark yellow]): SSURGO review
process underway. The spatial data, attribute data, metadata,
correlation document, and compilation certification for a SSURGO
initiative on file at an NRCS Digitizing Unit.
- SSURGO Archived (GREEN YELLOW [a light green]): all digital data
capture, attribute data, and metadata complete; survey passed a SSURGO
certification review by an NRCS digitizing unit, and certified by an
MLRA Soil Survey Regional Office and state conservationist; survey archived and
available for distribution on the Soil Data Mart and Web Soil Survey.
- Additional information on the map includes:
- Legend Title: “Initiative Status as of mm/dd/yy”
- Count: Total number of authorized SSURGO initiatives in each
legend status
- Total: Total number of authorized SSURGO initiatives
- Other Status Maps.
Program managers at the national, regional, MO region, or state
levels may determine other types of soil survey status maps useful for
management and information purposes within their operational area.
Long-Range Plan
of Operations for Initial Soil Surveys and for Update Soil Surveys
Requiring Extensive Revision (Exhibit 608-1)
United States Department of
Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service |
____________________________ County,
____________________________ |
Date ________________________ Project
staff _________________________ |
|
|
|
|
Narrative of Plan Items |
|
FY-______ FY-______
FY-______ FY-______
FY-______ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1. Memo of understanding (optional with MLRA
Region-wide MOU on file) |
|
|
|
a. Meet with locals |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
b. Prepare draft MOU |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
c. Obtain review |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
d. Obtain signatures |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
|
|
2. Collect references |
|
|
|
a. Geology |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
b. Water resources |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
c. Statistical reports |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
1. Farm |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
2. NRI |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
3. SWCD |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
4. Climate |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
5. Other |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
d. County roads |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
e. Adjoining soil survey data |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
f. Topo quad sheets, DEMs |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
|
|
3. Prepare field sheets (if used) |
|
|
|
a. Edging |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
b. Identification |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
c. Advance copy ident. |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
d. Acreage determination |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
e. Other |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
|
|
4. Preliminary field studies |
|
|
|
a. Area reconnaissance |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
b. Develop landform map |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
c. Field test STATSGO2 for GSM use |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
d. Test map areas |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
e. Correlate studies and field
observations |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
|
|
5. Prepare draft descriptive legend (ensure
NASIS is populated for) |
|
|
|
a. Taxonomic desc. |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
b. Map unit desc. |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
c. Features and Symbols legend |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
d. Identification Legend |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
e. Classification of soils |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
|
|
6. Documentation and supporting data |
|
|
|
a. Transect studies |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
b. Field notes |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
c. Identify problem areas |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
d. Field descriptions |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
e. Pedon program |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
f. Transect program |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
g. Soil mapping procedures, relationships, soil surveyor's model |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
h. Other |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
|
|
7. Special studies |
|
|
|
a. Crop yields |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
b. Forestland site |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
c. Geomorphic |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
d. Characterization |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
e. Surficial geology |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
f. Other |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
|
|
8. Field mapping |
|
|
|
a. Joining |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
b. Acreage goals |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
c. Compile sheets (if needed) |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
d. Digitize |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
e. Run SSURGO AMLs |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
|
|
9. Sampling and lab data |
|
|
|
a. Sampling for NSSL |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
b. Sampling for University |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
c. Sampling for highway dept. |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
|
|
10. QA reviews and field visit
assist. |
|
|
|
a. Pre-initial review |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
b. Initial review |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
c. Progress review |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
d. Final review |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
e. Prelim. correlation |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
f. Final correlation |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
g. Field visit assist. |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
|
|
11. General soil map (STATSGO2)
revise and update |
|
|
|
a. Adjust delineation of units |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
b. Develop legend |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
c. Describe units |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
d. Develop diagrams |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
|
|
12. Develop survey area soil handbook |
|
|
|
a. Introduction to area |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
b. General nature |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
c. Crops and pasture |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
d. Forestland and windbreaks |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
e. Range |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
f. Engineering |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
g. Recreation |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
h. Wildlife |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
i. Factors of soil formation |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
j. Classification of soil |
|
______
______ ______
______ ______ |
|
|
|
|
13. Interpretation tables |
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a. Prepare and update data elements |
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______
______ ______
______ ______ |
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b. Generate tables for review |
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______
______ ______
______ ______ |
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c. Review tables with technical
specialists |
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______ ______
______ ______ |
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14. Take manuscript photos |
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a. Select sites |
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______ ______ |
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b. Review photos with editors |
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______ ______ |
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c. Select final photos |
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______ ______
______ ______ |
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15. Prepare soil survey manuscript |
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a. Select from survey area soil
handbook or generate from NASIS |
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______ ______
______ ______ |
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b. Obtain technical review |
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______
______ ______
______ ______ |
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c. Obtain English edit |
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______ ______
______ ______ |
Annual Plan of
Operations for Initial Soil Surveys and for Update Soil Surveys Requiring
Extensive Revision (Exhibit 608-2)
United States Department of
Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service |
____________________________
County, ____________________________ |
Date ________________________
Project staff _________________________ |
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Responsibility of |
Number Amount |
Hours Per Quarter |
FY Total |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
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Section A: Long-range Plan of
Operation |
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1. Memo of understanding |
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a. Meet with locals |
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b. Review specifications |
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c. |
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d. |
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2. Collect references |
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a. Geology reports |
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b. Flood data |
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__________ |
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______ |
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c. Local history |
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__________ |
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d. County road maps |
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__________ |
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e. Land use |
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__________ |
______ |
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f. Water quality info |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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3. Prepare field sheets (if used) |
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a. Edging |
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__________ |
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______ |
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b. Identification |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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c. Advance copy identification |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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d. Designate acreage |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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4. Preliminary field studies |
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a. Develop landforms map |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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b. Draft
initial STATSGO2 update |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
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___ |
______ |
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c. Test
map areas |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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5. Descriptive legend (complete data
in NASIS) |
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a. Prepare taxonomic unit descriptions |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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b. Prepare map unit descriptions |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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6. Documentation and supporting data |
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a. Record transects |
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__________ |
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______ |
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b. Yield data |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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c. Forest transects |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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d. Describe pedons |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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e. Analyze transect data |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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7. Field mapping |
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a. Acreage goal by individual |
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__________ |
______ |
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8. Field reviews |
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a. Pre-initial review |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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b. Progress review |
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__________ |
______ |
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___ |
______ |
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Section B: Soil Management and
Interpretations Support Services |
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a. Onsite investigations |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
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___ |
___ |
______ |
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b. FOTG |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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c. Special evaluation |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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Section C: Information Activities |
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a. Talk to service club |
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__________ |
______ |
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______ |
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b. Prepare news article |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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c. Report to cooperators |
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__________ |
______ |
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___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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Section D: Leave and Holiday |
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a. Annual leave |
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__________ |
______ |
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___ |
___ |
______ |
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b. Sick leave |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
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___ |
___ |
______ |
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c. Holidays |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
Example of Needs Identified for an MLRA Soil
Survey Area Long-Range Plan (Exhibit
608-3)
Correlation Needs
Potential New Series
- Non-mollic Sioux and Coe analogous to Langhei and Sisseton
- Moderately well drained phases of Sioux and Coe
- Shaly Divide, Marysland, and Wyrene
- A phase of Wyard for coarse-loamy till areas
- Series for shaly sands (e.g., shaly Hecla, Hamar, Venlo)
- Two-story series for coarse-loamy till (e.g., Dickey, Towner, Swenoda,
Lanona)
- Colluvial soil analogous to Darnen for the coarse-loamy till
- Other variants and out of date series
Classification Issues
- Hapludoll vs Calciudoll
- Binford
- Brantford
- Sverdrup
- Aquic or Oxyaquic
- Clontarf
- Describe OSDs to 2 meters
- Evaluate the use of spot symbols throughout the MLRA
- Evaluate sandy-skeletal soils for loamy skeletal and sandy substratums
- Evaluate the need for a fine textured Manfred
- Out-of-date series
Soil-Landscape Issues
- Evaluate use of upland sodium affected soils (e.g., Aberdeen) on
floodplains
- Evaluate use of Southam, Parnell, and Tonka on outwash plains
- Evaluate use of Southam, Parnell, and Tonka on coarse loamy till plains
- Evaluate use of Lindaas and Perella in depressions in lacustrine areas
- Evaluate the use and develop mapping criteria for separating drainage
phases of Maddock and Hecla
- Evaluate the use and develop mapping criteria for separating drainage
phases of Dickey, Towner, and Foldahl
- Evaluate the need for separating till and lacustrine substratums
(Towner, Swenoda, etc.)
- Evaluate well drained outwash map units such as Renshaw and Brantford
for correct drainage
- Evaluate Barnes-Hamerly map units (Towner and Rolette Counties)
- Evaluate Barnes-Buse and Svea-Buse map units in Cavalier and other
counties
- Evaluate selected map units in Lamoure County for proper drainage
- Evaluate high terrace map units along the Sheyenne River in Ransom
County to determine if they are till or outwash
- Evaluate Edgeley map units in Lamoure and Dickey Counties
- Evaluate the surface texture of Walsh in the Sheyenne River Valley
- Evaluate the use and develop mapping criteria for separating Falsen and
Lohnes
- Define relevant slope groups for specific landscapes
- Evaluate doughnut topography (composition, hydric soils, etc.)
- Evaluate dissected topography (composition, etc.)
- Evaluate high density pothole landscapes (composition, hydric soils,
etc.)
- Evaluate low-relief eroded landscapes (composition)
- Evaluate small lake plains (upland soils) on till plain
- Evaluate use of poorly and very poorly drained lacustrine soils (Fargo,
Grano) in potholes on the till plain
- Evaluate the potential of a till substratum under lacustrine soils in
Ramsey and Towner Counties
- Evaluate use of till substratum phases of Divide, Marysland, and Wyrene
- Evaluate wooded map units (composition, components, O horizon)
- Evaluate fluvial systems (consistent use of channeled map units,
continuity of flood plains, frequency of flooding etc.)
- Evaluate textures and drainage (somewhat poorly) in the Sheyenne River
Valley
- Evaluate stony phases (percent surface fragments, stony areas in Barnes
County)
- Evaluate the design of sand mantled till map units
- Evaluate the design of till-outwash map units
- Evaluate the need for identifying various till lobes/members (shaly
till, fine till)
- evaluate the near surface stratigraphy (loam surface, clay loam
parent material)
- evaluate possible lacustrine influence on natric soils
- Evaluate linear, esker-like surface features to determine composition
- Evaluate the spatial distribution of sodium affected soils (relationship
with depth to shale, lacustrine soils)
Soil Data/Interpretation Issues
- Document saturation/water tables on sands
- Evaluate salinity levels (Vallers, saline-Parnell, etc.)
- Evaluate saline undifferentiated map units (Vallers and Hamerly)
- Establish reference components for land use (range versus crop, drained
versus undrained)
- Summarize ponding duration investigation
- Summarize hydric soil investigation
- WSG for sandy soils
- Determine surface textures for coarse-loamy till
- Evaluate soil lengths for MLRA map units
- Document PIs
- Evaluate eco-site for Stirum
Miscellaneous
- MLRA manuscript
- Complete the development of MLRA legends
- Complete the placement of MLRA lines on SSURGO product
- Complete the development of a seamless (perfect) join among counties
- Update STATSGO for MLRA 55A and 55B
Example of a Project Plan Evaluation
Ranking Procedure
(Exhibit 608-4)
Rank each factor from 1 to 3, with 1 being low and 3 being high.
Determine the overall priority ranking from the Key at the end.
A. Scientific Merit. How important is the Project for soil science
and the soil resource inventory? Examples: updating or investigating
taxonomic classifications; revising series concepts; updating or
correcting pedon descriptions; sampling to fill data voids for series.
Score |
Criteria |
1 |
Little or no scientific merit. |
2 |
Some merit; minor changes to benchmark soils; changes to soils
of small extent, etc. |
3 |
High merit; major advances in scientific knowledge about
benchmark soils.
|
B. Agency Merit. How important is the Project for NRCS or Partners
programs? Included here are all the Farm Bill programs, conservation
planning, state cost-share, etc. Examples: K factors (affects HEL and
CRP), hydric soils (wetlands), prime farmland issues, suitability
groups.
Score |
Criteria |
1 |
Little or no scientific merit. |
2 |
Minor or incidental effects on some properties or areas of concern;
affects one or programs in a minor way. |
3 |
Significant revision to properties of benchmark soils used in programs
or areas of significant concern to conservation efforts; affects several
programs, or has a major impact on one or more programs. |
C. External Merit. How important is the Project for external customers,
either government or private?
Score |
Criteria |
1 |
Little or no interest from external customers. |
2 |
Some effect on soil survey users or agencies; one user group impacted. |
3 |
Major impact on land use planning, interpretations, or agency programs
or lands; more than one user group impacted. |
D. Financial/Partnership Inputs. Are there inputs from other sources or
partners, such as funding, staffing, equipment, or technical support?
Score |
Criteria |
1 |
Little or no partnership involvement. |
2 |
Some commitment of staff time, equipment, and/or technical support; one
partner involved. |
3 |
Major commitment of staff time and equipment, and/or financial support;
more than one partner involved; strong support or guidance of NRCS or
partner administration.
|
E. Synergy. Does the Project serve or support another project or
proposal?
Score |
Criteria |
1 |
None. |
2 |
Some advantage to another project. |
3 |
Closely related to another Project; significantly improves the
efficiency of both Projects. |
F. County Soil Survey Deficiencies. Does the Project address
deficiencies identified in the county soil survey evaluations and/or
digital flags?
Score |
Criteria |
1 |
No deficiencies previously noted; affects newer surveys with 5-digit
numbers. |
2 |
Minor deficiencies are addressed; affects published surveys with
mnemonic symbols (e.g., 27B, MeB). |
3 |
Significant deficiencies in the existing soil surveys are addressed;
affects “out-of-date” surveys. |
G. Efficiency. How much “bang for the buck” is in this project?
Evaluate, in part, on the ratio of acreage affected to time required to
complete.
Score |
Criteria |
1 |
Low. Lots of work for a few acres; e.g., < 300 acres / person-day. Or,
few and minor NASIS changes per person-day. |
2 |
Moderate. Reasonable return for the labor; 300 to 1000 acres /
person-day, numerous NASIS changes per person-day, etc. |
3 |
High. Big changes with little effort; >1000 acres / person-day, major
NASIS revisions per person-day, etc. |
Key:
- If (G=3) and (D=3) and (2 or more of A or B or C or F = 3) OR Score =
3 on 3 of A, B, C, or F Then Priority = High
- If (D=1) and (G=1) and (none=3) and (composite score <11) Then
Priority = Low
- All other; Priority = Medium
Example of a Project Plan (Exhibit
608-5)
PROJECT PLAN
Evaluation of MLRA 55A Map Unit F144B
Objective
Evaluate map unit composition of eroded fine-loamy
glacial till found on 3-6 percent slopes in cropland. From determined
composition percentages, a map unit name will be developed and an MLRA
Symbol assigned. A new map unit will potentially be correlated across
MLRA 55A.
Justification and Significance
The eroded fine-loamy till landscape on 3 to 6 percent
slopes is a common feature throughout MLRA 55A (see figure 1). Two map
units have been used to identify this terrain in the past. These map
units are Barnes-Buse 3-6% slopes and Svea-Buse 3-6% slopes. Experience
in the field suggests that these two map units may not correctly
represent the terrain and further study is needed. This correlation is
significant as the above map units exist in thirteen of sixteen counties
in MLRA 55A. These map units encompass a total of 580,000 acres (85% on
cropland) across MLRA 55A and include the Benchmark soils such as the
Barnes Series and Svea Series. These soils are among the most productive
in the state and are extremely important to conservation planning (e.g.
RUSLE II, wind erosion). Future work will potentially include additional
investigations on other map units related to the eroded study, the
progression of erosion to the landscape, the impact of erosion on the
North Dakota Soil Productivity Index, and the impact on MLRA 55B.
Potential Reportable Acres: 25,000 acres
Figure 1. Landscape of Barnes-Buse loams, 3-6% slopes.
![Landscape of Barnes-Buse loams, 3-6% slopes.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090305041247im_/http://soils.usda.gov/technical/handbook/images/Part608Exhibit5_1.jpg)
Background
Anthropogenic influences, most commonly traditional cultivation
practices in the last 50 years, have had a negative impact to the
fine-loamy till landscapes found on 3 to 6 percent slopes located across
MLRA 55A. Continuous tillage to cropland has accelerated machine, water
and wind erosion and progressively altered dynamic soil properties
commonly found on undisturbed landscapes. In addition to eroding the
tops of rises, the deposition of calcareous material has affected the
down slope portion of productive agricultural lands. Erosion has
noticeably affected cropped landscapes to a point where past soil
correlations may no longer be correct. An investigation on these types
of landscapes and associated map units is needed in order to truly
represent what is happening on the ground.
Benefits
Completion of this project will end in better identifying a
soil-landscape relationship found extensively throughout MLRA 55A. Soils
found on this landscape include Benchmark Soils such as the Barnes
Series and Svea Series. Spatial and tabular data available to users will
be updated. Updated soil interpretations for these cropped landscapes
can lead to better conservation practices being implemented in MLRA 55A.
General Procedure
Locate the eroded fine-loamy till landscapes found on 3 to 6 percent
slopes in cropland across MLRA 55A and identify map units used. Choose
representative map units to investigate. Complete detailed transects of
the eroded landscape, focusing on eroded areas and depositional areas.
Select random transects to input into TRANSWIN. Determine composition
percentages and develop map unit name and assign MLRA Symbol. Identify
map unit trends across MLRA 55A. Correlate the map unit across MLRA 55A.
Needs
Equipment used for this project will include:
- ATV
- Bucket auger
- ArcMap GIS 9.2
- LE 1600 Tablet PC
- Transect forms
- TRANSWIN
Duration
Procedure |
Time Table |
Office Preparation and Investigation |
10 days |
Field Investigation |
25 days |
Summary of Field Work |
5 days |
Correlation Process |
10 days |
SSURGO Download of MLRA 55A |
2 days |
Total |
52 days |
Personnel
- Lance Duey (Soil Scientist): Conducting Field Investigation and
Summary
- Earnie Jensen (MLRA Soil Survey Leader): Quality Control
- Joe Brennan (Soil Scientist/GIS): Assisting in GIS
Applications/Use/Training
- Mike Ulmer (Senior Regional Soil Scientist): Quality Assurance
- County Field Offices: District Conservationists will be
contacted prior to working in a county
Contact Person
Earnie Jensen
MLRA Soil Survey Leader
USDA-NRCS
706 8th Ave SE, Suite 1
Devils Lake, ND 58301
Tele: (701) 662-6283 ext. 135
Earnie.jensen@nd.usda.gov
I. Office Preparation and Investigation
- Reviewing Existing Correlation Documentation
- Historical transect data will be evaluated using TRANSWIN
(North Dakota NRCS Soil Transect Program).
- Review correlation decisions of the eroded fine-loamy till,
3-6% slopes in MLRA 55A.
- Choose map units which will be investigated during the
project.
- Review of Spatial Data
- Evaluate the existing MLRA Legend, and non-updated County
Legends. Choose map units to be queried using GIS (see chart 1).
Chart 1: MLRA 55A Eroded B-slope Fine-loamy till Map Units
County
Symbol |
MLRA
Symbol |
Existing Correlated
Map Unit Name |
County |
Total
Acres |
Total Acres
Cropland |
118
|
F144B
|
Barnes-Buse loams, 3-6% slopes |
Towner
|
134,715 |
118,093 |
11B
|
F144B
|
Barnes-Buse loams, 3-6% slopes |
Nelson
|
49,396 |
37,547 |
12B 11B
|
F144B F154B
|
Barnes-Buse loams, 3-6% slopes Svea-Buse loams 3-6% slopes
|
Cavalier
|
120,058 |
107,278 |
130B
|
F144B
|
Barnes-Buse loams, 3-6% slopes |
Grand Forks
|
2,006 |
1,746 |
140B
|
F144B
|
Barnes-Buse loams, 3-6% slopes |
Benson
|
51,012 |
43,998 |
19B
|
F144B
|
Barnes-Buse loams, 3-6% slopes |
Ramsey
|
74,840 |
64,427 |
53B
|
F144B
|
Barnes-Buse loams, 3-6% slopes |
Pierce
|
2,471 |
2,308 |
BkB2
|
F144B
|
Barnes-Buse loams, 3-6% slopes |
Walsh
|
41,174 |
28,256 |
118
|
|
Barnes-Buse loams, 3-6% slopes |
Rolette
|
75,787 |
63,373 |
24B
|
|
Barnes-Buse loams, 3-6% slopes |
McHenry
|
22,744 |
19,477
|
BbB
|
|
Barnes-Buse loams, undulating |
Ward
|
3,210 |
2,985 |
BdB
|
|
Barnes-Buse loams, 3-6% slopes |
Renville
|
3,023 |
2,695 |
Total Acres |
|
|
|
580,436 |
492,183 |
- Using ArcMap GIS 9.2, query the eroded fine-loamy till map
units, 3-6% slopes and develop a physiographic map of MLRA 55A
(see figure 2).
Figure 2. Locations of All Eroded Fine-loamy till, 3-6% slope
(cropland and rangeland).
![Locations of All Eroded Fine-loamy till, 3-6% slope (cropland and rangeland).](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090305041247im_/http://soils.usda.gov/technical/handbook/images/Part608Exhibit5_2.jpg)
- Review spatial distribution for trends such as map unit
clustering and voids.
- Map units are heavily populated in the Eastern half of
MLRA 55A because Eastern counties have had MLRA Legend
updates
- Map units are thinly populated in the Western half of
MLRA 55A because Western counties have not been updated to a
MLRA Legend
- Bottineau County and Pierce County are void of eroded,
fine-loamy till 3 to 6 percent slope map units because
Bottineau County did not recognize an eroded fine-
loamy till map unit on 3 to 6 percent slopes. The eroded
fine-loamy till map unit was correlated on 3 to 9 percent
slopes. Additional investigation needs to be conducted in
Pierce County
- Identify map units that exist only on cropland.
- Choose map units in cropland across MLRA 55A that correctly
represent the landscape and investigate each using techniques
outlined in the project plan.
- Office Evaluation of Ortho-Imagery Photo Tones (see figure 3)
Figure 3. Analysis of Ortho-Imagery Photo Tones
![Analysis of Ortho-Imagery Photo Tones](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090305041247im_/http://soils.usda.gov/technical/handbook/images/Part608Exhibit5_3.jpg)
- Analyze photo tones of selected map units and choose areas
for transecting.
- Conclude that three photo tones influence the landscape
- Black = Possible zones of wetness or potholes
- Grey tones = Possible zones of deposition and other
- White tones = Possible zones of erosion
- Determining Photo-Tone Coverage
- What percentage of the map units are white tones?
- What percentage of the map units are black tones?
Who: Duey, Jensen, Brennan When: Spring 2007 Quality Control: Jensen
Quality Assurance: MO-7 Staff
II. Field Investigation
- Transecting
- Choose 10 representative map units and investigate black, grey,
and white photo tones.
- Determine areas to transect.
- Identify soil series and record stops on TRANSWIN Field Form (MO-7 SSFG, Part D-2 Appendix B – Version 3.0 4/01).
- Example of data to be collected:
- Bk depth and thickness
- Bt depth
- Bw depth
- E depth and thickness
- C depth and texture
- 2C depth and texture
- Depth to redox
- Color of redox features
- Percent redox
- Color of soil matrix
- Landscape position
- Soil Series
- Slope shape & percent
- Surface texture
- Surface carbonates depth & thickness
- Mollic epipedon thickness
- Surface carbonate thickness
Who: Duey
When: Summer/Fall 2007, Spring 2008
Quality Control: Jensen
Quality Assurance: MO-7 Staff
III. Summary of Field Investigation
- Review data collected in the field
- Check for inconsistencies, patterns, and/or voids in collected
data.
- Collect additional data if needed.
- Review Ortho-Imagery
- Review transects determine if black, grey, and white areas were
represented in all 10 sites.
- Compare identified Soil Series to ortho-imagery photo tone.
Who: Duey
When: Fall 2007
Quality Control: Jensen
Quality Assurance: MO-7 Staff
IV. Additional Field Investigation
- Application of Transects to Photo-Tone
- Select 20 additional sites across the MLRA and apply knowledge
gained from landscape transects.
- Using photo tone of the Ortho-imagery to identify the soil series
Who: Duey
When: Spring/Summer 2008
Quality Control: Jensen
Quality Assurance: MO-7 Staff
V. Correlation Process
- Component Determination using TRANSWIN
- Major Component(s)
- Minor Component(s)
- Assigning Map Unit Name and Symbol
- Revise or create new Reference Components
- Changes to WEG (e.g., 5 changes to 4L)
- Select a new map unit name if needed
- Select a new MLRA Symbol if needed
- Add the new MLRA map unit to the MLRA Legend
- Spatially assign MLRA Symbol to counties where the eroded,
fine-loamy till on 3 to 6 percent slopes landscape occur
- Component Data will be entered in NASIS at Level II
- Populate Data Map unit(s) at Level II
- Validate Data Map unit(s)
Who: Duey, Jensen
When: Winter/Spring 2008-2009
Quality Control: Jensen
Quality Assurance: MO-7 Staff
VI. SSURGO Download
- Download map unit changes to SSURGO
Who: MO-7 Staff
When: Winter 2008
______________________________
MLRA Soil Survey Leader Signature
______________________________
MO-7 Leader Signature
Annual Plan of Operations for an MLRA
Soil Survey (Exhibit
608-6)
United States Department of
Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service |
____________________________
MLRA SSA, ____________________________ |
Date ________________________
Project staff _________________________ |
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Responsibility of |
Number Amount |
Hours Per Quarter |
FY Total |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
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Section A: Long-range Plan of
Operation |
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1. Collect and analyze references |
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a. Geology reports |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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b. Flood data |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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c. Local history |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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d. County road maps |
|
__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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e. Land use |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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f. Water quality info |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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2. Prepare digital data |
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3. Field studies |
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a. Develop landforms map |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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b. Draft
initial STATSGO2 update |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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4. Project area legend |
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a. Revise and circulate OSEDs |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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b. Review map unit descriptions |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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5. Documentation and supporting data |
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a. Record transects |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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b. Yield data |
|
__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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c. Forest transects |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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d. Describe pedons |
|
__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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e. Analyze transect data |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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6. Project reviews |
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a. Field assistance visit |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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b. Completion review |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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Section B: Soil Management and
Interpretations Support Services |
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a. Onsite investigations |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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b. FOTG coordination |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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c. Special evaluations |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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Section C: Information Activities |
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a. Talk to service club |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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b. Prepare news article |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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c. Report to cooperators |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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Section D: Leave and Holiday |
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a. Annual leave |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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b. Sick leave |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
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c. Holidays |
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__________ |
______ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
______ |
Soil Survey Schedule Guidelines (Exhibit 608-7)
This exhibit provides additional guidance for
administering the Soil Survey Schedule. It is primarily intended for
soil survey program managers and Soil Survey Schedule data stewards. It
is divided into major soil survey program business areas for ease of
reference. Schedule data elements relevant to the business areas are
listed and discussed. Also refer to Exhibit 608-7, a quick reference
companion which provides a snapshot of business area responsibilities.
Definitions of data elements are in NASIS, and therefore, are NOT
repeated in this document. Additional explanations are provided for some
data elements.
I. LEGEND ADMINISTRATION and ACREAGE MANAGEMENT
Timely administration of Legends and acreage accountability are critical
functions to the schedule’s usefulness as a management tool. Legends
serve as “place-holders” to project future needs, identify progress, and
track milestone events leading to completion of soil survey products for
a survey area.
Guiding Principles for Soil Survey Schedule Administration and
Maintenance:
- The Soil Survey Schedule database is imbedded in the NASIS database,
and therefore is a multi-user soil survey database. It is the official
reporting instrument for production soil survey activities of the
National Cooperative Soil Survey.
- Administration is the responsibility of state offices; updating maps
and data is the responsibility of soil survey business area data
stewards.
- Data for Soil Survey Schedule are maintained in legends linked to
(Non-MLRA) soil survey areas owned by Pangaea.
- Schedule can accommodate multiple legends for a survey area. All
geographic areas of the Nation are covered in at least one soil survey
area, with at least one legend.
- Data entries may be maintained continuously, but as a minimum, are
current at the end of each month. Mapping progress may be reported
continuously, but as a minimum, is reported at the end of each quarter.
- ADMINISTRATIVE Data Elements:
- Area Name. This data element applies to both Area Table and Legend
Area Overlap Table.
- Area Symbol. This data element applies to both Area Table and Legend
Area Overlap Table.
- Area Acres
- Soil Survey Area Status
- MLRA Office
- MOU Agency Responsible
- Legend Description
- Geographic Applicability. This data element specifies the currency of
soil survey information, including both attribute and spatial data.
- Legend Certification Status
- Export Certification Status
- Product Availability Status
- ACREAGE MANAGEMENT
Protocols for Acreage Management of (Non-MLRA) Soil Survey Legends:
Seven land categories are used to identify the ownership of all lands of
the United States and its Trust Territories. The land categories are:
Native American Land, Other Non-federal Land, Bureau of Land Management,
U. S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Other Federal Land, and
Census Water. Accordingly, acreage is assigned in each non-MLRA soil
survey area legend, subject to the following conventions:
- Land categories reflect current land ownership as it occurs in the
survey area.
- The sum of all land category acres from all legends in a state equals
the 1992 NRI acres for the state.
- Land category acres are balanced across legends that cover the same
geographic area, such that each acre is recorded only once.
- Survey areas that cover parts of two or more states will have a
separate legend for each state. One legend will be completely populated
with map units and the legend area overlaps for the entire survey area,
but will have land category acres, goals, and progress for only one
state. Legends for adjacent states will not have map units or legend
area overlaps, but will have land category acres, goals, and progress
appropriate for that state. Area acres will be for the whole survey
area, and will be recorded as the same in each survey area.
- Acres are recorded to the actual acre, or rounded to 100 acres.
- Areas in Alaska identified as “Alaska Native Lands”, or in Hawaii as
“Hawaiian Homelands” are included in the meaning of Native American
Land.
- Census Water applies to all contiguous water polygons that are 40
acres in size or larger. If a water polygon is less than 40 acres in
size in the survey area, but extends into an adjoining survey area such
that the total extent in both survey areas is more than 40 acres, then
the water qualifies as Census Water. Census Water acreage is NOT to be
part of mapping goals; it is administratively managed in NASIS to
account for total survey acres and progress.
Legend Scenarios and Protocols:
- Survey Areas With One Legend. Only one legend is linked to a (Non-MLRA)
soil survey area in NASIS, and no other survey areas have been
established that coincide graphically with any part of the survey area.
The actual (or best estimate) land category acres are recorded in the
Legend Land Category Breakdown table. The sum of all acres recorded in
the table are to equal the survey area acreage.
- Survey Areas With Two or More Legends. These areas typically have an
older out-of-date legend and a newer update or published legend. Acres
in the Legend Land Category Breakdown table should be re-balanced such
that the older legend shows zero acres in each land category. The newer
legend should reflect the actual (or best estimate) of land category
acres in the Legend Land Category Breakdown table, thus land category
acres will be recorded only once in the survey area. Mapping progress
should be retained in both the older and newer legend, as appropriate
(see section on mapping goals and progress). With the creation of the
Soil Data Warehouse, there is no need to copy and paste legends. Surveys
areas with two legends can be avoided by managing one legend and prior
to Update work, send the legend to the SDW for archive. The SDW will
date stamp and version the legend. Managing one legend decreases the
burden of managing multiple legends.
- Survey Areas That Partly Coincide With Another Survey Area. These
areas typically consist of an update survey area that covers part of an
older survey area, or an update survey that covers two or more previous
survey areas. Acres in the Legend Land Category Table should be
re-balanced in all affected survey area legends such that current land
category acres are recorded in the newest legend and subtracted from
older legends. The sum of land category acres in the newest legend will
equal the survey area acreage. The resulting sum of land category acres
in each of the other affected legends will equal less than their
respective survey area acreage. Mapping progress should be retained in
both older and newer legends, as appropriate (see section on mapping
goals and progress).
II. MAPPING GOALS and PROGRESS
Goals and progress are recorded in the Legend Mapping Goals and Legend
Mapping Progress tables for each legend. Goals and progress may be
recorded for each individual project member (preferred), or for the
project staff as a whole. Use the following protocols:
- Project Staff. First, enter individual project member names or a name
for the entire project staff in the Legend Staff table before entering
goals or progress.
- Goals. Enter fiscal year goals in the Legend Mapping Goals table at
the beginning of each fiscal year.
- Progress. Enter mapping progress and show the effective progress
reporting date in the Legend Mapping Progress table under the
appropriate land category. NOTE: The reporting date determines the
fiscal year for progress reporting. Show initial and update mapping
under NRCS or cooperator columns, as appropriate. Update acres may be
reported in any legend where update activity has occurred.
- Progress. Once mapping progress has been reported in a legend, that
progress should not be moved to another legend, unless an error was made
in data entry. However, in order to show the current progress for all
land categories, progress may need to be re-allocated among land
categories within the same legend to reflect any changes in land
ownership. NOTE: For situations where land category acres have been
re-balanced across legends, acres of mapping progress reported for a
land category may be more than the land category acres shown for that
legend, and in some cases the land category acres may even be zero.
- GOAL SETTING
- Fiscal Year
- Staff Member
- Staff Member Job Title
- Initial NRCS Acres Goal
- Initial Cooperator Acres Goal
- Update NRCS Acres Goal
- Update Cooperator Acres Goal
- REPORTING MAPPING PROGRESS
- Progress Reporting Date
- Initial NRCS Acres
- Initial Cooperator Acres
- Update NRCS Acres
- Update Cooperator Acres
- Staff Member
INITIAL ACRES. This refers to mapping a soil survey area and reporting
progress for the first time. The cumulative initial acres reported for a
completed survey area always equals 100% of the survey area acres.
Applies to all lands of the Nation, and mapping by both NRCS and
cooperator personnel. Applies to mapping at any order of detail or
scale. Typically, reported only for surveys having a non-project or
initial status, but may apply to surveys with update or maintenance
status where areas that were not mapped during the initial survey are
mapped and reported for the first time. Initial Acres are reported only
once for a given geographic area. All subsequent mapping on the same
ground is reported as update acres.
UPDATE ACRES. This refers to re-mapping, or updating on parts or all of
a survey area and reporting progress on acres previously reported. The
cumulative update acres for a survey area may exceed 100% of the survey
area acres. Applies to all lands of the nation, and mapping by both NRCS
and cooperator personnel. Applies to mapping at any order of detail or
scale. Typically reported for surveys having an update status, but may
report for surveys with any status. Applies to reporting progress for
surveys in update status including activities that involve systematic
transects or field investigations to determine map unit composition,
without line changes to polygons (re-mapping).
III. IMAGERY, ORTHOPHOTOGRAPHY, and MAP COMPILATION
These data elements are primarily the responsibility of state offices in
their administrative and liaison capacity between MLRA Soil Survey Regional
Offices
and National Cooperative Soil Survey partners within a state. Field
imagery, orthophotography, and map compilation materials may be needed
for project survey operations, or SSURGO initiatives.
Acquisition of field imagery, orthophotography, and map compilation
materials is coordinated with the National Cartography and Geospatial
Center. Development of new imagery and orthophotography, along with
related funding and cost-share issues, is coordinated with the National
Office. The primary source of new orthophotography development is
through the National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP).
- FIELD MAPPING IMAGERY
- Field Imagery Needed
- Field Imagery Ordered
- Field Imagery Received
- ORTHOPHOTOGRAPHY
- DOQs Needed
- DOQs Ordered
- DOQs Received
- MAP COMPILATION
- Compilation Materials Needed
- Compilation Materials Ordered
- Compilation Materials Received
IV. INITIAL and UPDATE SURVEY OPERATIONS
These data elements relate most directly to production soil survey
operations, and therefore, are the responsibility of MLRA Soil Survey Regional
Offices. Data elements relative to the memorandum of understanding for
project areas and product types are jointly shared by state offices and MLRA
Soil Survey
Regional Offices.
- ADMINISTRATIVE and FIELD ACTIVITIES
- MOU Signed
- MOU Projected Completion
- Project Scale. Standard National map scales are 1:12,000 in quarter
quad format or 1:24,000 in full quad format. Puerto Rico is approved for
1: 20,000 and Alaska is approved for 1: 25,000; any other scale and/or
format must be approved by the Director, Soil Survey Division, prior to
development of the long range plan for the survey area.
- Initial Field Review Completed. This date is consistent with the
Initial Field Review Report.
- Final Field Review Completed. This date is consistent with the Final
Field Review Report.
- Correlation Date
- English Edit Site
- Digital Map Finishing Site
- MAP COMPILATION
- Compilation Started
- Compilation Percent
- Compilation Completed
- Compilation Certification
- MAP FINISHING
- Map Finish Method. Choices are digital (preferred) and manual.
- Map Finish Started
- Map Finish Percent
- Map Finish Completed
- Map Finish to NCGC
- Map Finish at NCGC
- Maps Sent to Printer
- MANUSCRIPT and PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
- Manuscript Technical Edit and Review
- Technical Edit Completed
- Technical Review Completed
- English Edit
- English Edit Received
- English Edit Started
- English Edit Completed
- Manuscript Received at NCGC
- Manuscript to Printer
- Products Data Elements:
- Product Type. Six final product types are available from a choice
list. All that apply for a survey area are identified according to their
publication date. Choices are:
- Interim Report
- Soil Attribute/Spatial on CD-ROM
- Soil Survey Report on CD-ROM
- Three Ring Bound Manuscript
- Traditional Bound Manuscript
- Web Publication
- Product Description
- Scheduled Delivery (date)
- Actual Delivery (date)
- Availability Status
V. NATIONAL DIGITIZING INITIATIVE
Background. In FY 1995, the Soil Survey Division began a special funding
initiative to digitize high priority soil surveys. The driving force for
this initiative was an Executive Order in 1990, whereby the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) established the Federal Geographic Data
Committee (FGDC) which promotes the development, coordination, and use
of geospatial information on a national basis. Within the FGDC National
Spatial Data Infrastructure, the USDA, and specifically the NRCS, has
responsibility to develop digitizing standards and to digitize the
nation’s soil resources. Digitizing standards and specifications for
Soil Survey Geographic Databases (SSURGO) are outlined in
part 647.
A 1996 Quality Improvement Team (QIT) sponsored by the Soil Survey
Division recommended establishment of digitizing units as part of the
national infrastructure needed to complete the digitizing of all soil
surveys. In FY 1997, eight digitizing units were established to digitize
high priority surveys and to review the digital data and assure that
SSURGO certification standards are met. Also, in FY 1997, Congress began
providing special funding to accelerate digitizing of all published soil
surveys. This funding is part of a national effort to complete digital
soils and digital orthophotography for the entire country, and is
provided to NRCS as part of the conservation operations budget.
SSURGO Initiatives. Published surveys that were a high priority for
field office and USDA service center GIS implementation were the early
focus for SSURGO development using the special national allocations. As
more of these were completed initial and update surveys with a
correlation, and other published surveys became a higher priority and
progressive digitizing of on going surveys was consider in funding
requests. In FY 2007 with most published soil surveys completed emphasis
and funding shifted to initial soil surveys and new digital soil survey
mapping techniques. Substitutions for funded surveys may be made at any
time, upon request to the Soil Survey Program Manager; the substituted
survey should be of similar size and/or value as the original funded
survey.
SSURGO Operations. The Soil Survey Division coordinates with NCGC in
managing the National Digitizing Initiative. Surveys for special SSURGO
Initiative funding are prioritized by states and coordinated for
funding. Allocations are based on business area responsibility for
SSURGO development; states have responsibility for recompilation of soil
survey maps; MLRA Soil Survey Regional Offices have soil business responsibility for
correlation, for map compilation quality assurance, and for digitizing
quality assurance; and digitizing units have responsibility for
digitizing and for certification review. The dataset is archived in the
Soil Data Warehouse and delivered via the Soil Data Mart, Web Soil
Survey and Geospatial Data Gateway. Quality assurance of the SSURGO
product is completed at the National Cartography and Geospatial Center.
SSURGO Certification. After SSURGO data has passed a certification
review by the digitizing unit, and all paper work and quality assurance
is completed by the MLRA Soil Survey Regional Office, the survey is certified as
meeting SSURGO standards by the responsible MLRA Soil Survey Regional Office
leader
and the state conservationist.
SSURGO Progress Reporting. Progress and status for SSURGO initiatives
are tracked continuously in the Soil Survey Schedule. A status map,
Status of Soil Survey Digitizing (SSURGO), is produced monthly from
progress data in the schedule; refer to part 608.10(d). Business areas
with responsibilities for SSURGO development also have responsibility to
populate the appropriate data elements in the schedule for survey
legends designated as part of the SSURGO initiative; refer to
Exhibit
608-7, Soil Survey Schedule Business Area Responsibilities. Data
stewards are designated to insure timely and accurate progress reporting
in the schedule. The schedule data elements specific to the National
Digitizing Initiative are identified below:
- ADMINISTRATIVE
These schedule data elements are the responsibility of the National
Office, ONLY. Access is through the Soil Survey Schedule web
application, or through the conventional NASIS interface.
- SSURGO Initiative. This data element must be designated as “yes” in
order for digitizing units and NCGC to have legend access for data entry
through the Web.
- Digitizing Unit. Designation is from a choice list of all the
digitizing units. Web access for digitizing units is only through
designation of this data element and identification of the survey as a SSURGO initiative.
- Compilation Funding Year
- Digitizing Funding Year
- MAP COMPILATION
These schedule data elements for survey legends designated as a SSURGO
initiative are the responsibility of the state receiving compilation
funds under the special national initiative, or from local sources.
Access to the schedule is through the regular NASIS permissions.
- Compilation Started
- Compilation Percent
- Compilation Completed
- Compilation Certification
- DIGITIZING, CERTIFICATION, and ARCHIVING
These data elements are the primary responsibility of the digitizing
units and the National Cartography and Geospatial Center. If actual
digitizing is not done by the designated digitizing unit, states have
responsibility to populate digitizing started, digitizing percent, and
digitizing completed prior to sending the job to the digitizing unit for
certification review.
- Digitizing Started. Except for surveys in initial, update or extensive
revision status for which progressive digitizing is underway, the
correlation document, compilation certification, and attribute data are
on file at the office doing the digitizing, or correspondence granting
an exception is on file from the MLRA office.
- Digitizing Percent
- Digitizing Completed. Quality control work by the state or the
digitizing unit, and quality assurance by the MLRA Soil Survey Regional
Office, is
normally done after the digitizing is complete, and before the SSURGO
review is started.
- SSURGO Digital Review Started
- SSURGO Certification Date
- SSURGO Archived
Soil Survey Schedule Business Area
Responsibilities (Exhibit
608-8)
I. LEGEND ADMINISTRATION and ACREAGE MANAGEMENT
A. Administration
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
area |
area_name |
X |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
area |
area_symbol |
X |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
area |
area_acres |
X |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
soil_survey_area_status |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
mlra_office |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
mou_agency_responsible |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
legend_description |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
legend_suitability_for_use |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
legend_certification_status |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend product |
product_availability_status |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
B. Acreage Management
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend area overlap |
area_overlap_acres |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend land category breakdown |
legend_land_category_acres |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend land category breakdown |
legend_land_category |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
II. MAPPING GOALS and PROGRESS
A. Goal Setting
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend staff |
staff_member_name |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend staff |
staff_member_job_title |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend mapping goal |
stafff_member_name |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend mapping goal |
fiscal_year |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend mapping goal |
initial_nrcs_acres_goal |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend mapping goal |
initial_cooperator_acres_goal |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend mapping goal |
update_nrcs_acres_goal |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend mapping goal |
update_cooperator_acres_goal |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
B. Reporting Mapping Progress
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend mapping progress |
staff_member_name |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend mapping progress |
progress_reporting_date |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend mapping progress |
intitial_nrcs_acres |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend mapping progress |
initial_cooperator_acres |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend mapping progress |
update_nrcs_acres |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend mapping progress |
update_cooperator_acres |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
III. IMAGERY, ORTHOPHOTOGRAPHY, and MAP COMPILATION
A. Field Imagery
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend |
field_imagery_needed |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
field_imagery_ordered |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
legend |
field_imagery_received |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
B. Orthophotography
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend |
doqs_needed |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
doqs_ordered |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
- |
X |
legend |
doqs_received |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
C. Compilation Materials
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend |
compilation_materials_needed |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
compilation_materials_ordered |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
legend |
compilation_materials_received |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
IV. PROJECT and UPDATE SURVEY OPERATIONS
A. Administrative and Field Activities
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend |
mou_signed |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
mou_projected_completion |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
project_scale |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
initial_field_review_completed |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
final_field_review_completed |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
correlation_date |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
dmf_site |
- |
- |
X |
X |
- |
X |
- |
legend |
english_edit_site |
- |
X |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
B. Map Compilation
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend |
compilation_started |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
compilation_percent |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
compilation_completed |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
compilation_certification |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
C. Map Finishing
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend |
map_finish_method |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
map_finish_started |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
legend |
map_finish_percent |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
legend |
map_finish_completed |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
legend |
map_finish_to_ncgc |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
legend |
maps_to_printer |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
D. Manuscript and Product Development
1. Technical Edit and Review
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend |
technical_edit_completed |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
technical_review_completed |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2. English Edit
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend |
english_edit_site |
- |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
english_edit_received |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
english_edit_started |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
english_edit_completed |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
text_received_at_ncgc |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
legend |
text_to_printer |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
3. Products
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend product |
product_type |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend product |
product_description |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend product |
product_scheduled |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend product |
product_delivered |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
legend product |
product_availability_status |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
V. National Digitizing Initiative
A. Administrative
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend |
ssurgo_initiative |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
digitizing_unit |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
compilation_funding_year |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
digitizing_funding_year |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
B. Map Compilation
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend |
compilation_started |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
compilation_percent |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
compilation_completed |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
legend |
compilation_certification |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
C. Digitizing, Certification, and Archiving
NASIS
Table Name |
Data Element |
State Office |
MLRA
Office |
NSSC |
NHQ |
DU |
DMF |
NCGC |
legend |
digitizing_started |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
- |
legend |
digitizing_percent |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
- |
legend |
digitizing_completed |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
- |
legend |
ssurgo_dig_review_started |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
- |
legend |
ssurgo_certification |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
- |
legend |
ssurgo_archived |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
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