Soil Map

Use a soil survey alongside your own observations

The Soil Survey Geographic Database, or SSURGO, describes mapped soil areas and their components. It is a useful starting point for a property review, not a direct measurement of a garden bed. Search your location, zoom until boundaries appear, and select an area. Read the returned component information before assuming that every part of the boundary has the same texture or drainage.

A map unit may contain several named soils and small inclusions that cannot be drawn separately at the survey scale. The dominant component is a broad description, not a guarantee at your exact point. Construction, imported soil, grading, and long-term management can also change surface conditions. Compare the map with the slope, standing water, rooting depth, and soil layers you observe.

Use survey information to decide where separate samples might be useful. A low wet area and an upland bed may deserve different samples even when they sit close together. Record the locations and avoid mixing an unusual problem spot into a sample intended to describe a whole healthy area. A survey can guide that sampling decision; a laboratory report supplies measurements for the material you actually send.

The map depends on external tile and USDA data services. If a layer fails to load, try another location or return when the service is available. Missing data does not mean that a soil property is zero. For background on the categories, visit the twelve soil orders guide. For current chemistry, compare soil test options and keep the resulting records in your Soil Dashboard.