The Web Soil Survey (WSS) is a great way to access natural resource data from areas all over the world. Soil quality data, waste and water management, vegetation productivity, land management, construction and development information can be available to view and assess for a given area. This was my first time using WSS, so I would easily classify myself as a beginner, and I quickly realized the larger the area you chose, the more confusing and challenging it was to read your data. However, the more I used the program, the easier it became to maneuver and pull the data I wished to view. I decided to continue to explore the Lake Shenandoah area with this assignment.
My first step was to isolate my area of interest by identifying my state and county, zooming in, searching for familiar streets to find my area, and then creating my isolated area of interest.
I spent time exploring the vegetation productivity which was fun to search since there is a forested area on a portion of the perimeter of the lake; however, most data came from the 1950s-1960s. I then spent time reviewing the soil classification section because I enjoy classifying soil types with my high school students through the soil texture chart and soil triangle analysis. The results for the area show silt loam and silty clay loam for the majority of the area. Loam indicates that all soil types are present (clay, silt, and sand). Silt loam consists mostly of silt and silty clay loam is usually around 40-70% silt, 28-40% clay, and less than 20% sand. The results from the WSS are as follows:
And the table provides indications about some of the identified area soil classification types.
Here is a soil triangle with a soil sample to give you an idea of how I test this with my students. We also follow the soil texture chart by identifying texture and ribbons which is a fun and messy way to get students involved in identifying their soil types.
Resources:
NRCS. (2019). Web Soil Survey - Home. Usda.gov. https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm
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