West Virginia Soil Surveys

Web Soil Survey (WSS). Soil map data for all 55 West Virginia counties is available on the national Web Soil Survey. Three basic steps—Define, View/Explore, and Check Out—make the Web Soil Survey a simple yet powerful way to access and analyze soil data. After outlining an area of interest (AOI) onscreen, the user can print a map with soils and related information, save the map to a hard drive, or download the data for use in GIS or CADD software. The user can also explore the designated location for specific data on soil suitability for various uses, and create customized reports to save, print, or e-mail. For help on using the Web Soil Survey, see the following: “Web Soil Survey (WSS) 2.1: How to Use It” http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/Help/WSS_HomePage_HowTo.pdf Web Soil Survey: Tips & Shortcuts http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/Tips_Shortcuts.htm

Digital soils. Digital soil layers and associated data may be obtained from the Soil Data Mart (download only) or the Geospatial Data Gateway (download, CD-ROM, or DVD).  See the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database website for more information on digital soils. (Digital soils are also available through the Web Soil Survey.)

Bound, hard copy soil surveys. To obtain a free copy of the most recent county soil survey publication, send an e-mail with the words "Soil Survey Request" in the subject line to Stephen Carpenter, State Soil Scientist and MLRA Leader. Remember to include in your message all pertinent information such as county you are requesting, your name, and a mailing address where the information may be sent. Receipt of material is subject to availability and only one copy per customer per request. If additional copies are needed, please call the appropriate USDA service center. The hard copy soil survey publications contain information that was current as of the publication date; the text, tables, and soil maps may have been updated since publication. The most up-to-date information is available on the Web Soil Survey and the Soil Data Mart.

PDF format. Several county soil survey publications, including reports and detailed maps, are available in PDF format (see table below). Adobe Acrobat is required to view PDF documents.  (To link to the PDF file through the Web Soil Survey, select  "Archived Soil Surveys" in the left column of the WSS home page, or select the "Archived Soil Surveys" tab at the top of the WSS Area of Interest (AOI) page. Then select West Virginia and a county.) The PDF files contain information that was current as of the publication date and are available for reference; the text, tables, and soil maps may have been updated since publication. The most up-to-date information is available on the Web Soil Survey. A CD of any of these PDF files may be requested from this office. To request a PDF file CD, send an e-mail with the words “PDF file CD Request” in the subject line to Stephen Carpenter, State Soil Scientist and MLRA Leader. Include the name of the county you are requesting, your name, and a mailing address.

SoilView 2.7 CDs.  Many soil surveys are available in SoilView 2.7 CD format. SoilView 2.7 is a method of viewing information traditionally published in a hard copy soil survey. SoilView allows the user to look at data layers including soils, roads, and streams over an aerial photograph or topographic map background and link to soil map unit descriptions and various soil properties and interpretations. SoilView is a runtime version of the ESRI GIS software ArcView, and is a product of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. To request a SoilView CD, check availability in the table below and send an e-mail with the words “SoilView CD Request” in the subject line to Stephen Carpenter, State Soil Scientist and MLRA Leader. Include the name of the county you are requesting, your name, and a mailing address.

• View the national NRCS List of Published Soil Surveys
• Visit the Major Land Resource Area Region 13 Home Page

Status of West Virginia Soil Survey Reports, February 2010