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2002 Kansas Report

Soil Survey

Soil surveys provide a field-based scientific inventory of soil resources that includes soil maps, information on the physical and chemical properties of soils, and information on the potentials and limitations of soil for various uses.

NRCS is responsible for soil mapping of private lands. Many federal, state, and local agencies contribute both staff and funds toward this effort.

Soil Survey Digitizing

One hundred three (103) or 98 percent of the county soil surveys have been certified for digital use by NRCS. Digitizing is completed on the two remaining counties (Doniphan and Johnson) and awaiting certification.

Electronic Release of Soil Interpretations

Kansas led the Nation in producing soil information that is accessible to the public through the internet at www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/efotg. Soil properties were incorporated into meaningful soil interpretations used in the Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG).

Soil Survey Maintenance

Soil survey activities in Kansas are geared toward maintenance of 105 published county soil surveys.

Soil survey maintenance projects were conducted as follows:

  • Kansas River Valley project (from Manhattan to Kansas City) will provide up-to-date soil maps and data for those counties (Riley, Pottawatomie, Jackson, Jefferson Leavenworth, Wabaunsee, Shawnee, Douglas, Johnson, Wyandotte) within the river valley.
  • In south-central Kansas, the focus is on identifying and determining the extent of saline soils in Rice, Harvey, and Harper counties.
  • In western Kansas, the focus is on investigating Ulysses soil map units and saline soils on floodplains targeting Gove, Ness, Finney, Hodgeman, Gray, and Ford counties. Adjacent counties where Ulysses soils are found are also being investigated.
  • In Crawford County, due to land use changes, reclaimed mined land is being investigated.
  • In Nemaha County, the soil properties in the Wymore soil map units are being investigated.
  • The updates of soil surveys in Geary, Brown, Atchison, and Morton counties are awaiting hard copy and electronic publication.

  • These counties have a published soil survey needing maintenance: Republic, Pratt, Seward, Haskell, Grant, Stanton, Hamilton, Kearny, Greeley, Wichita, Logan, and Scott.

  • A soil survey update is in progress for Stevens County.

     

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

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