STATSGO2-soil data

Step 1: Get soil data

Download state data from here: [1]

Download county or survey level data from here: [2]

Both sources should include a) tabular data b) spatial data c) Microsoft Access template

Step 2: Soil Data Viewer

You need 1) Install ArcGIS 9.2 or later for soil data viewer 5.2 on a Windows XP system 2) Install soil data viewer version 5.2 [3]

Step 3: Prepare Access database

1) Open Access template 2) Enable macros 3) Type in full path name to tabular data 4) Import should run automatically

Step 4: Working with Soil Data Viewer in ArcGIS

1) Open ArcGIS - View > Toolbars > Soil Data Viewer Tools 2) Click on the Soil Data Viewer button 3) Browse to Access database 4) Choose the soil data layer to connect to the database

Soil data viewer online user guide is here: [4]

Step 5: Karl's method for estimating soil properties using SDV

1) Soil Qualities and Features: Depth To Selected Soil Restrictive Layer

Generate Depth for a) Dominant Condition b) Dominant Component c) Weighted Average d) All Layers

Compare these to summer Landsat imagery and use expert judgment to determine the most believable layer

2) Soil Physical Properties: Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity (RHESSys requires Ksat at surface)

Plot for each 100cm

3) Soil Physical Properties: Percent Clay (used in RHESSys only for carbon cycling)

4) Soil Physical Properties: Percent Sand (used in RHESSys only for carbon cycling)

5) Soil Physical Properties: Percent Silt (used in RHESSys only for carbon cycling)

6) Soil Physical Properties: Surface Texture (Karl uses for naming soil defs)