NRCS Releases Jefferson County Soil Survey Report

COLUMBIA, MO, May 24, 2004 – The Soil Survey of Jefferson County, which provides valuable information about suitable uses of land at specific locations, is available to the public.

Dennis Potter, state soil scientist with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), explained that soil scientists examined the soils of Jefferson County between 1988 and 1996. To get an accurate picture of what soils are where, they walked over most of Jefferson County’s 425,280 acres. Along the way, they examined the soil and collected samples that were sent to laboratories for further analysis. They identified 62 different soils in the county.

The finished soil survey includes maps showing the location of soils, data about the physical and chemical properties of those soils, and information about potential uses and problems associated with various sites. An accurate inventory of soils and their properties is essential for determining the best use of land. The soil properties determine what crops or trees will grow well, if an area is prone to flooding, if a pond will leak, if a site is suitable for construction, and information about many other land uses.

“I advise anyone doing anything involving the soil to first find that specific site in the soil survey and check to see if the soil there will support what they are planning to do,” Potter says.

The Jefferson County soil survey project was led by NRCS in cooperation with the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Printed copies of the soil survey and CDs containing the same information are available from the NRCS/SWCD office in the USDA Service Center, 10820 Highway 21, Hillsboro, (636) 789-2441, extension 3.

Online Soil Survey Reports