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West Virginia Success StorySoil Survey Website Internet-based SystemProgram: West Virginia Soil Survey Overview: Soil surveys began in 1899 as part of the nation’s earliest cooperative conservation efforts. The National Cooperative Soil Survey evolved into a partnership of state and federal agencies working together to collect, classify, interpret and provide soils information. The new USDA Web Soil Survey site provides secure public access to the national soils information system. This site is a simple yet powerful way to access and analyze soils data that contributes to every aspect of public and private land use and development. Accomplishments: West Virginia currently has 35 counties with soils map data available for the web soil survey. Soils map data is in progress for 20 counties with an expected completion date of 2007. Soil surveys are the foundation for land conservation activities as well as private and commercial land development. Soil survey maps help to enable agricultural producers, conservationists, engineering firms, county and city planners, and others to make informed decisions concerning land use. Posting soil survey information on the internet is one more step in our effort to make information more accessible to the citizens we serve. The website has been designed with three easy to use features—Define, View and Explore and operates much like internet sites that provide locator and directional information. When viewers visit the web soil survey, they are asked to “Define” a geographic area of interest by selecting a state and county or just by highlighting an area or areas. Once a location has been defined and projected on the screen, the viewer has the choice to print the map and related information, save it to their hard drive, or download the data for use in a geographic information system (GIS). The viewer also can “Explore” the designated location for specific soils data giving the viewer important information on soil suitability in relationship to usage. This flexibility provides the viewer an opportunity to build a customized report that addresses the viewer’s individual needs. Information can be delivered in a variety of formats to include print, CD, DVD or other media. Benefits to the Community: In the past, all soil survey maps were printed and bound into soil survey books that were free to the public at local USDA Service Centers, NRCS field offices and public libraries. The once familiar soil survey publications will be phased out slowly and the federal government’s initiative of electronic government information (eGov) will replace the printed publications through the use of this site. Benefits to the Landowner: Landowners benefit in profit and land use when they consult a survey map. Having web access to soil surveys makes it more convenient for landowners to access and make use of them. Contact: Stephen
Carpenter, MLRA Project Leader West Virginia USDA-NRCS
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