Soil Atlas of Kentucky

For more than 40 years the University of Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service are the leaders of the Cooperative Soil Survey Program in Kentucky. The University of Kentucky through the Pedology-Mineralogy Laboratory has provided and continues to provide the soil characterization support needed to maintain the proper quality control over the soil survey activities in the state. This support encompasses morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical data and field research investigations that are essential for the USDA-NRCS soil scientists for making sound mapping and soil use interpretations decisions. The strong cooperation of these two agencies has led into the successful completion of the once over mapping of the state and is currently concentrating in updating, modernizing and digitizing old soil surveys. The published soil survey reports are the best available sources of soil information. As demographics, technologies, land uses, and management practices change there is a strong need to keep our soils information data bases current to address local, regional, and national concerns. While updating individual or regional soil surveys the need for an updated state wide soil resource publication is imminent. The last Kentucky Soils publication was issued in 1964. While most of the soils information contained in that publication is still valid, the visual appeal is limited to a few black and white landscape pictures and a considerable portion of it needs to be updated. The goal of this project is to develop a modern updated version of Kentucky Soils called “Soil Atlas of Kentucky” using the advanced media technologies available today. This publication will include geology and soil maps in color, typical soil profile color illustrations, updated soil profile descriptions and other relevant soils information. The final product will be available as a colored paper publication, in an electronic CD version, and in a website so that it can be accessed by a wide spectrum of private and public service sectors enabling them to make more informed environmental assessments and resource management decisions.