Soil Services in Washington

Soils information is central to NRCS conservation planning efforts. NRCS field soil scientists are working together with federal, tribal, state, university, and other partners to inventory and map Washington's soils as part of the National Cooperative Soil Survey. Washington's Technical Soil Services team provides assistance with the interpretation and application of soil survey data.

 

Washington Soil Surveys The soil survey program in Washington state provides an orderly, on-the-ground, scientific inventory of the soil resource.  The field soil scientists provide maps showing the locations and extent of soils, data about physical and chemical properties of those soils.  Information derived from this data about limitations and use on each kind of soil in sufficient detail meets all reasonable needs for a variety of users of soil information.

Washington Soil Atlas This Washington Soils Atlas is designed to present information about Washington State soils in an organized format to a nontechnical audience. The intention is to assist readers understand the importance of soil. Soil is a vital natural resource to residents of Washington because it serves numerous functions that assist residents to live and to earn an income. It also produces food and fiber for populations of the world. This Soils Atlas is intended to be a dynamic document. There are continual updates and additions. Please check back often for most current materials.

Accessing Soil Survey Information The official soils information is stored in digital format and is accessible through the Web Soil Survey and Soil Data Mart. Web Soil Survey - Explore seamless soils data. View, download, and print custom maps, reports, and interpretations based on your area of interest. Soil Data Mart - Official spatial and tabular data for use in GIS and database software is available through the Soil Data Mart. Soil Data Viewer - An extension to ESRI's ArcMap that enables a user to create interpretive thematic maps using official soils data. Hydric Soils - The hydric soils for a particular soil survey area can be obtained by generating a Hydric Soil report at the Soil Data Mart. Be sure to include minor components in your query. Other Soil Survey Formats Hard-copy soil survey reports provide a snapshot of the soils information at the time of publication. This information becomes dated over time, and those seeking the most current data should access the official data from Web Soil Survey. For archival purposes, many hard-copy reports have been scanned and are available on CD-ROM. A complete list of the soil survey products and formats is available for Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. A nationwide list is available from the List of Soil Surveys by State.

Technical Soil Services Assistance Contact the Technical Soil Service provider in your area. Soil scientists involved in technical soil services help users understand soil surveys, apply soil information for specific needs, gather site specific soil data, and integrate soil survey information and data with other resource data and technology.

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