north dakota agricultural land assessment...north dakota agricultural land assessment 2016 6 | p a g...

North Dakota Agricultural Land Assessment 2016 Self Study Instructional Manual

To be used in fulfilling the educational certification requirements of North Dakota Century Code 57-

02-01.1 for North Dakota assessment officials.

North Dakota Agricultural Land Assessment 2016

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Contents UNIT 1 ................................................................................................................................................................................ 4

WHAT IS AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY? ........................................................................................................... 5

UNIT 2 ................................................................................................................................................................................ 7

THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS ................................................................................................................................ 7

UNIT 3 .............................................................................................................................................................................. 10

LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS ........................................................................................................................................ 10

Metes and Bounds ................................................................................................................................................... 10

Public Land Survey System .................................................................................................................................... 14

Subdividing Sections ............................................................................................................................................... 19

Platted Subdivision .................................................................................................................................................. 21

UNIT 4 .............................................................................................................................................................................. 25

SOILS AND SOIL SURVEYS ................................................................................................................................. 25

What is soil? (less technical) ................................................................................................................................... 25

What is soil? (more technical) ................................................................................................................................ 25

How does soil form? ............................................................................................................................................... 26

Parent Material ......................................................................................................................................................... 26

Climate ....................................................................................................................................................................... 26

Living organisms ...................................................................................................................................................... 27

Landscape position .................................................................................................................................................. 27

Time ........................................................................................................................................................................... 28

What are soil horizons? ........................................................................................................................................... 28

What is a soil scientist? ............................................................................................................................................ 29

What is a soil survey? .............................................................................................................................................. 29

Who uses a soil survey?........................................................................................................................................... 30

What is a map unit? ................................................................................................................................................. 30

What is a consociation, complex, association, undifferentiated group, or miscellaneous area? ................. 31

What is an Official Series Description? ................................................................................................................ 31

INFORMATION FOR LAND USERS ................................................................................................................. 32

Homebuyers.............................................................................................................................................................. 32

Land Use Planners ................................................................................................................................................... 32


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Appraisers ................................................................................................................................................................. 33

Developers and Builders ......................................................................................................................................... 33

Sewage lagoons ......................................................................................................................................................... 35

Sanitary landfills ....................................................................................................................................................... 35

Disposing of other kinds of waste ........................................................................................................................ 36

Why soil data are needed ........................................................................................................................................ 36

Selecting recreation areas ........................................................................................................................................ 37

Maintaining recreation areas .................................................................................................................................. 37

Construction Engineers .......................................................................................................................................... 38

Determining soil hazards ........................................................................................................................................ 38

How soil surveys can help engineers .................................................................................................................... 38

Farmers and Ranchers ............................................................................................................................................. 40

How soil surveys can help farmers ....................................................................................................................... 40

How soil surveys can help ranchers ...................................................................................................................... 41

What soil data are available? ................................................................................................................................... 42

CROPLAND ................................................................................................................................................................ 42

Land capability classification .................................................................................................................................. 42

Capability classes ...................................................................................................................................................... 43

Capability subclasses................................................................................................................................................ 43

Capability units ......................................................................................................................................................... 44

Soil erosion and crop production .......................................................................................................................... 44

PASTURELAND AND HAYLAND ..................................................................................................................... 49

Forage ........................................................................................................................................................................ 49

Forage Suitability Groups ....................................................................................................................................... 50

Pastureland Condition ............................................................................................................................................. 50

RANGELAND ............................................................................................................................................................ 50

What is rangeland? ................................................................................................................................................... 50

What is range management? ................................................................................................................................... 51

What is an ecological site? ...................................................................................................................................... 51

What is an ecological site description? ................................................................................................................. 51

What is a historic climax plant community? ........................................................................................................ 52

What is a similarity index? ...................................................................................................................................... 52

How is similarity index calculated? ....................................................................................................................... 52


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What is trend? ........................................................................................................................................................... 53

How is range trend determined? ........................................................................................................................... 53

What is rangeland health? ....................................................................................................................................... 54

URBAN USES .............................................................................................................................................................. 54

Soils information helps people make many different decisions ....................................................................... 55

Urban areas include developed and developing land ......................................................................................... 55

Developed land ........................................................................................................................................................ 55

Rural transportation land ........................................................................................................................................ 55

Urban and built-up areas ........................................................................................................................................ 55

Developing land ....................................................................................................................................................... 56

A brief guide to soils in urban areas ..................................................................................................................... 56

Understanding the suitability and limitations ratings ......................................................................................... 56

Urban land map units .............................................................................................................................................. 57

Components and kinds of map units ................................................................................................................... 59

Minor components .................................................................................................................................................. 59

Kinds of map units .................................................................................................................................................. 59

UNIT 5 .............................................................................................................................................................................. 61

NDSU PRODUCTION FORMULA AND INUNDATED LAND ................................................................ 61

County Average Agricultural Value ...................................................................................................................... 61

Average Agricultural Value for Each County ..................................................................................................... 62

Average Agricultural Value for Each Assessment District ............................................................................... 62

Assessor Estimates Value Of Each Parcel of Agricultural Land ..................................................................... 63

Assessor’s Or Township Board’s Estimate of Average Value ......................................................................... 63

Implementation of Soil Type and Soil Classification Data Required .............................................................. 63

Land Used for Extraction of Oil, Natural Gas, or Subsurface Minerals ........................................................ 63

UNIT 6 .............................................................................................................................................................................. 64

METHOD OF VALUATION & ASSIGNING VALUE TO SOIL TYPES BASED ON

PRODUCTIVITY ....................................................................................................................................................... 64

Assigning Value to Soil Types Based on Productivity ....................................................................................... 65

UNIT 7 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 70

MODIFIERS ................................................................................................................................................................ 70

POTENTIAL MODIFIERS ................................................................................................................................. 71

UNIT 8 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 74


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ACTUAL USE IN AGRICULTURAL LAND ASSESSMENT ........................................................................ 74

Cropland And Noncropland Breakpoint Establishment .................................................................................. 75

Assigning Cropland And Noncropland Values To Each Soil Type Or Class ............................................... 77

Assigning Other Use Categories: Nonproductive Lands .................................................................................. 78

Agricultural Improvements .................................................................................................................................... 79

UNIT 9 .............................................................................................................................................................................. 80

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 80

APPENDIX 1 ................................................................................................................................................................... 81


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UNIT 1

WHAT IS AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY?

Agricultural property in terms of land area is the most dominant property type in the state

of North Dakota. For the 2016 assessment year 37,889,422 acres were reported by County

Directors of Tax Equalization that can be found in all 53 counties, organized and unorganized

townships, as well as within the boundaries of both large and small cities. Placing the true and

full value on a single agricultural parcel or multiple parcels in a county is a complex process that

requires considerable knowledge, attention to detail, and consistency to ensure fair and equitable

treatment to all land owners in an assessment jurisdiction.

North Dakota Century Code § 57-02-01(1) provides the definition of agricultural land.

“Agricultural property” means platted or unplatted lands used for raising agricultural crops or

grazing farm animals, except lands platted and assessed as agricultural property prior to March

30, 1981, shall continue to be assessed as agricultural property until put to a use other than

raising agricultural crops or grazing farm animals. Agricultural property includes land on

which a greenhouse or other building is located if the land is used for a nursery or other purpose

associated with the operation of the greenhouse. The time limitations contained in this section

may not be construed to prevent property that was assessed as other than agricultural property

from being assessed as agricultural property if the property otherwise qualifies under this

subsection.

a. Property platted on or after March 30, 1981, is not agricultural property when any four

of the following conditions exist:

(1) The land is platted by the owner.

(2) Public improvements including sewer, water, or streets are in place.

(3) Topsoil is removed or topography is disturbed to the extent that the property

cannot be used to raise crops or graze farm animals.

(4) Property is zoned other than agricultural.

(5) Property has assumed an urban atmosphere because of adjacent residential or

commercial development on three or more sides.

(6) The parcel is less than ten acres [4.05 hectares] and not contiguous to

agricultural property.

(7) The property sells for more than four times the county average true and full

agricultural value.


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b. Land that was assessed as agricultural property at the time the land was put to use for

extraction of oil, natural gas, or subsurface minerals as defined in section 38-12-01 must

continue to be assessed as agricultural property if the remainder of the surface owner’s

parcel on which the subsurface mineral activity is occurring continues to qualify for

assessment as agricultural property under this subsection.”

The term ―agricultural land‖ is subdivided into ―cropland‖ and ―non-cropland.‖ Cropland is land

used for raising agricultural crops. Non-cropland is land used for grazing farm animals. There is

no official classification for wasteland or land that is too poor to raise a crop or graze animals;

that is still classified as non-cropland.

Section 57-02-27.2 of the North Dakota Century Code relates to the valuation and assessment of

agricultural lands. Subsection (7) of this statute provides:

“In determining the relative value of lands for each assessment district compared to the county

average, the county director of tax equalization shall use soil type and soil classification data

from detailed and general soil surveys.”

Subsection (8) of N.D.C.C. Section 57-02-27.2 further provides that to determine the relative

value of each assessment parcel, the local assessor must apply the following considerations (in

descending order of significance) to the assessment determination:

1. Soil type and soil classification data from detailed or general soil surveys;

2. The schedule of modifiers that must be used to adjust agricultural property

assessments within the county as approved by the state supervisor of assessments

(under subsection 9); and

3. Actual use of the property for cropland or non-cropland purposes by the owner

of the parcel.

With regard to implementation of this system by counties, N.D.C.C. § 57-02-27.2(10), provides:

“For any county that has not fully implemented use of soil type and soil classification

data from detailed or general soil surveys by February first of any taxable year after

2011, the tax commissioner shall direct the state treasurer to withhold five percent of

that county's allocation each quarter from the state aid distribution fund under section

57-39.2-26.1 beginning with the first quarter of 2013, and continuing until the tax

commissioner certifies to the state treasurer that that county has fully implemented use

of soil type or soil classification data…..”


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UNIT 2

THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS1

The government officials responsible for administering the property tax system, and for

establishing the value of property for ad valorem tax purposes, are known by many different

names in various countries throughout the world. In Mexico, for example, they are called

valuators or appraisers. In the United States and Canada, they are called evaluators, directors of

equalization, property appraisers, and tax assessors. The term assessor is used in this text.

Assessors may be elected, appointed, or employed under civil service.

The assessment function may be performed at the state or provincial level of government or at

lower levels. At the state level, the function is carried out by individual administrators, members

of a board, or commissioners. Their primary roles are to establish policies and procedures,

promulgate administrative rules, and, in many states, provide equalization functions. At the local

level, the assessment jurisdiction may be the same as a county, city, township, or school district

or may cross political boundaries under a consolidated government, such as a city-county or

regional government. Valuation functions are typically accomplished at this level. State and

provincial statues delineate both the governmental structure and the scope of the assessor‘s

authority.

Most assessors have similar duties and responsibilities. The assessor is responsible for discovery,

listing, and valuing all taxable property; this may include both real and personal property. (Real

property is generally defined as land and all things attached to the land. Personal property is

defined as all other property.) In accomplishing these duties, the assessor must not allow any

property to escape assessment. Also, values must be estimated correctly so that individual

owners pay only their fair share of the property tax.

All the duties of the assessor are repeated periodically, and many are repeated annually. The

duties of the assessor can be classified as discovering, listing, and valuing all the taxable

property in the jurisdiction, including the following:

Locating and identifying all taxable property in the jurisdiction

Making an inventory of all taxable property, including quantity, quality, and

important characteristics

Classifying each property and determining the extent to which it is taxable

Estimating the market value of each taxable property

1 Text for Unit 2 has been taken verbatim from the International Association of Assessing Officer’s Property Assessment Valuation, Third Edition, pages 2-4. As per copyright requirements, written permission has been obtained by IAAO to reproduce this material as presented in this manual. IAAO, “The Assessment Process” in Property Assessment Valuation, 3rd ed. Garth Thimgan, CAE, 2-4. Kansas City: IAAO, 2010


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Calculating the taxable value (sometimes a fraction of market value) of each

property

Notifying owners of the taxable property of their properties

Defending value estimates and valuation methods during appeals

Preparing and certifying the assessment roll of the entire jurisdiction

To accomplish the initial task of discovering property, the assessor needs a mapping system,

preferably a geographic information system (GIS), which shows every parcel of land. With an

inadequate mapping system, it is difficult to verify that all land has been discovered and that

measurements resulting in square-footage and acreage calculations are accurate. Recorded

information such as deeds and building permits assists in the discovery of taxable property.

Also, periodic on-site inspections of buildings and other improvements attached to the land

should be conducted. At the time of inspection, the data collector records pertinent data on the

buildings, other improvements, and the land.

The discovery of personal property usually requires two steps. First, the property owner files a

return with the assessor itemizing any personal property that may be taxable. Second, the

assessor audits the property owner‘s records, physically inspects the property, and then appraises

or values it.2

After property has been discovered, the assessor must assign a parcel identifier (a sequence of

numbers or numbers and letters). A parcel identification system in which each property is

assigned a unique identifier is essential to this task.

The next step is to classify property according to its proper category. In most jurisdictions, these

classifications are real property, personal property, exempt property, and, in some cases, property

owned or operated by a public utility. The classification may determine how the property is

assessed. Exempt property may or may not be assessed, depending on jurisdictional regulations.

Property must also be identified according to situs (location for purposes of taxation). In the

case of real property, situs is the same as the physical location of the property. In the case of

personal property, situs is the taxable location, which may be different from the physical

location, because personal property often can be moved from place to place. An assessor

mandated to value personal property such as motor vehicles, boats, aircraft, and cattle must

determine whether the property may be taxed within the jurisdiction and, in some cases, the

proration of the year for which it may be taxed. Such decisions often require reference to laws

and court decisions.2

2 N.D.C.C. § 57-02-08 (25) provides for the exemption of personal property in the state of North Dakota. The student is advised to review these portions of Century Code and their potential effects of the valuation of agricultural land. Personal property will not be discussed further in this course material.


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Having discovered, identified, and classified all the property in the jurisdiction; the assessor must

then value each property. General, specific, and comparative data on all types of property are

collected, analyzed, and processed into indications of value for each individual property. The

property is then assessed at its market value or at some legally authorized fraction thereof,

known as the assessed value, which is usually the taxable value of the property. However, there

are a few exceptions in which the assessed value and the taxable value are not the same. This

text uses the term assessed value to refer to the taxable value.3

Most jurisdictions require that after making the assessment the assessor notify the property

owner of the value and various government agencies of the total value of different types of

property. The assessment roll is then certified and delivered to the appropriate agency so the roll

can be reviewed, taxes computed, bills sent, and moneys collected.

The assessment function is not yet complete. The assessor‘s value is subject to review. Property

owners may request an informal review by the assessor‘s office while it still has control of the

roll and can review and change values.

If property owners are not satisfied with the results of an informal hearing, they may request a

formal review before a quasi-judicial appeals board. In all jurisdictions, owners can request a

formal review by the appropriate trial court. In a formal review, the assessor may be asked to

provide evidence to support the valuation methods used to estimate the value.4

The end product of the assessment process is the generation of tax bills to collect the revenues

that fund local government services. Tax bills generally are not the responsibility of the assessor

and are not discussed in this text.

3 N.D.C.C. § 57-02-01 defines True and Full value, Assessed Value, and Taxable Value. As the text suggests, assessed value and taxable value are not the same in North Dakota. The student is also encouraged to review N.D.C.C. § 57-02-27 for the determination of these values. 4 N.D.C.C. § 57-02-51 provides for the notice of the township and city boards of equalization as well as the statutory meeting date. The township and city board meetings are the start of the “informal” hearings. The “formal” process is outlined in N.D.C.C. § 57-23-04.


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UNIT 3

LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS5

Legal descriptions are used to convey land, or various interests in land, from one owner to

another. Consequently, they should permanently identify and distinguish individual parcels of

land. Since no two parcels of land are exactly the same, a legal description should be unique,

applying to one and only one parcel. Legal descriptions are simply a statement that provides the

location, size, and shape of a specific parcel or real estate. The primary methods of describing

land used in the United States are metes and bounds, PLSS, and platted subdivision.

The metes and bounds method of describing land originated in England. In sixteenth-century

England the surveyor acted as the manager for a nobleman who owned land. One of his primary

responsibilities was to annually walk over the land, note the boundaries, and inventory the

holdings. This method of surveying (identifying the boundary of an estate by the points at which

it meets other boundaries or objects such as roads and streams) became known as metes and

bounds. The 13 original states plus Tennessee, West Virginia, Texas, and Hawaii use this

method.

The PLSS was established in 1785 when the Continental Congress passed an ordinance directing

that the public lands of the United States be surveyed and subdivided according to a system that

incorporated spherical coordinates for the primary lines and rectangular coordinates for the

secondary lines. Although other laws have since expanded the system, clarified the survey

methods, and changed some procedures, the system is basically as it was in 1785. The major

reason that all states are not covered under the PLSS is that private ownership of land had

already occurred in some areas prior to the adoption of this system.

Platted subdivisions is a method of describing land that first produces a plat or map of an area

and then identifies individual parcels by numbered lots. Often subdivision plats are filed or

recorded and individual descriptions identify specific lots from this recorded plat.

Metes and Bounds

Much of the land colonized prior to 1800 was characterized by scattered settlements. Because

agriculture was the main economy, people were encouraged to settle far apart and land was

selected based on its ability to grow crops rather than on its geometric shape. This type of land

settlement led to the problem of defining irregularly shaped parcels. In general, parcels of land

5 Text for Unit 3 has been taken verbatim from the International Association of Assessing Officer’s Property Assessment Valuation, Third Edition, pages 119-135. As per copyright requirements, written permission has been obtained by IAAO to reproduce this material as presented in this manual. IAAO, “Legal Descriptions” in Property Assessment Valuation, 3rd ed, Garth Thimgan, CAE, 119-135. Kansas City: IAAO, 2010.


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were described by using natural features as the most significant information. The following is a

typical early metes and bounds description:

Beginning at the mouth of Fountain Creek and continuing upstream with Fountain Creek

to the confluence of Silver Creek, thence up Silver Creek to the Stillhouse Road thence

along said road to a point in Pidgin River, thence along the river back to the beginning.

In addition to natural features, metes and bounds descriptions include artificial features such as

roads, rock piles, and adjoining owners. After the introduction of survey methods, the use of

natural or manmade features gave way to more abstract descriptions based on distance and

direction from an established point. A crude early survey might read as follows:

Beginning at the N.E. corner of the White Lightning Bridge over Duck River; thence

along a compass bearing of 90° for 500 yards, thence along a compass sighting of 10°

for 500 yards, thence along a compass sighting of 300° for 950 yards, thence along a

compass sighting of 170° for 1,000 yards back to the point of beginning.

When survey methods were used, the description likely included an estimate of the parcel‘s size

in common units such as acres.

While a metes and bounds description that contains references only to features is almost

impossible to draw and map, it does provide the property owner with a reasonable and easily

understood method of describing land. The property owner can, without any survey training or

knowledge, walk and identify the boundaries of the property by simply traveling from one

feature to the next. In times past property owners routinely reviewed their boundaries with

adjoining property owners to ensure a clear understanding of property line location. As time

progressed and the practice of reviewing boundary lines diminished, boundary disputes and

unknown boundary locations resulted, especially in areas of rugged terrain.

Over the years, surveying technology and practices have improved, and parcel boundaries are

typically described by using a bearing to determine the direction of each individual line. Since

most boundary lines do not run either due north, south, east, or west, it was necessary to

determine their exact direction. A bearing often provides the number of degrees, minutes, and

seconds to the east or west of a due north or south direction. As an example, a boundary line that

runs in a northeasterly direction can be precisely described as being N 45° E. A proper metes

and bounds description contains both a bearing and a distance (length) for each boundary line as

well as references to the natural and cultural features that are encountered along each line and at

each property corner. A proper metes and bounds description contains the direction and length

of each line, as well as the natural and cultural features, because the bearings and distances

provide the shape and size of the tract, while references to natural and cultural features provide

the necessary information to properly locate the tract.


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A metes and bounds legal description should always contain the following information:

Point of beginning. This should be easily identified, permanent, well-referenced,

and near the property. One of the most difficult aspects of locating a metes and

bounds description is determining its correct beginning point, and because of this,

surveyors often go to extraordinary measures to locate a well-defined, clearly

locatable point. Utilizing a method (such as X and Y coordinates) not disturbed

by changes in the surrounding area is very desirable.

Definite corners. Clearly defined points are preferable, with reference to

monuments such as iron pins.

Length and direction of each side of the property. All lengths (in feet and

decimals) and directions (by angles) should be given. Omitting a distance or

direction, even one to the point of beginning, can cause confusion and result in

errors in the calculations. The date of the survey is also important, especially if

the directions are given in bearings that were calculated from magnetic north.

Names of adjoining owners and features. Names of adjoining owners should be

provided to avoid claims for land in case an error in the description leaves a gap.

References to features such as streams or roads are also important.

Area. To aid in identifying the property, the amount of area contained in the

description should be included. The following is an example of a proper metes

and bounds description:

Beginning at an iron pin located in the South right-of-way of Main Street.

Said iron pin is located at a distance of 284’ from the intersection of the

east ROW of Maple Street and the South ROW of Main Street. Said point

is also located at the northwest corner of a lot now owned by John Smith,

thence along Smith’s line S 1° E a distance of 251.4’ to a point in Wilson’s

line, thence with Wilson S 77° E a distance of 197.3’ to a point in Cook’s

line, thence with Cook N 44° E a distance of 134.5’ to a point, thence

continuing with Cook N 2° E for a distance of 210’ to an iron pin in the

South ROW of Main Street, thence along the South ROW of Main Street S

88° W a distance of 300; to the point of beginning. Containing 1.55 acres

more or less.

This description properly plotted is illustrated in Figure 6-15.


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The ownership mapper frequently encounters discrepancies between two adjoining surveys or

even conflicting information within a single description. Surveying practices can vary from tract

to tract and result in one surveyor using Magnetic North while another references all directions

to True North. Also, one surveyor might have correctly used horizontal measurement techniques

while another did not. And last, it is very possible that a description contains an error caused by

a typing mistake, the reversing of numbers, or the omission of critical information.

When description discrepancies are encountered, the ownership mapper must attempt to

determine the intent of the parties involved. What did the person who was selling the property

intend to sell and what did the person who was buying the property intend to buy? Using the

concept of intent is critical to the mapping process and is usually developed from experience.

An experienced mapper can often determine the intent of the parties and can continue the

mapping process even when the description information is in error or critically important

information is omitted.

An aid in determining intent is to understand and apply the concept of Precedence of Calls.

When a discrepancy exists between two tracts or even when conflicting information is found in a


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single map description, Precedence of Calls often provides the necessary guidance to map the

parcel. The following Precedence of Calls should be used when attempting to resolve a

description discrepancy:

1. A description on which the conveyance is based

2. Monuments (natural or manmade)

3. Adjoining owner

4. Distance and direction

5. Distance or direction

6. Size

Metes and bounds descriptions are the oldest method of determining the size, shape, and location

of a tract of land. This method gives the writer the ability to describe any tract, regardless of its

size, shape, or location. Metes and bounds surveying has improved because of the advanced

technology available to today‘s surveyors. However, the cadastral mapper must often work with

older descriptions that have been used again and again and contain errors that have occurred over

time as the descriptions were copied from one deed to the next. Accurate base maps are a

tremendously valuable tool for the mapper in a metes and bounds area. With a base map, the

cadastral mapper can see the location of the features referenced in the description and use them

to accurately locate the property lines.

Public Land Survey System

During the late 1700s, the United States found itself in need of a national land policy. Since the

Federal Government owned a considerable amount of land, it decided to subdivide and sell the

land to raise funds needed for a new government. The amount of money raised proved to be less

than expected, but the survey system developed during this process has proven to be an excellent

method for describing land.

The Continental Congress in 1785 directed that the public land of the United States be surveyed

and subdivided according to a system that incorporated spherical coordinates (latitude and

longitude) for the primary lines and rectangular coordinates for the secondary lines. The primary

purpose of the survey work was to mark boundaries on the ground. Thus the corners established

on the ground by the original surveyors are to be considered correct and take precedence over

subsequent field notes and plats.

The 13 original states along with Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Hawaii were

not included in this survey. The 13 original colonies (which included West Virginia at the time)

had already experienced private ownership of their lands. The states of Tennessee and Kentucky

had also transferred land to private ownership by way of a process known as bounty land. A

land bounty is a grant of land from a government as a reward to repay citizens for the risks and

hardships they endured in the service of their country, usually in a military-related capacity.


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Commonly referred to as Revolutionary War Land Grants, these bounty lands were tracts of

considerable size. Some of the 13 original states lacked enough vacant land to offer a bounty

land program, while others selected reserves in their western domains for bounty land use.

Portions of what would become other states were settled through the bounty land program, most

notably in Ohio, which today has an area identified as the U.S. Military Tract, which includes all

or portions of 12 current-day counties. Texas was not included in the PLSS, because it was not

part of the United States at the time and Hawaii would not become a state for many years. The

Canadian system covers Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and northwest

Ontario. Figure 6-16 shows the United States and the area covered by PLSS.

Independent points of origin called Initial Points were established across those portions of the

United States covered by the system. A true meridian called the Principal Meridian and a true

parallel called the Base Line pass through each Initial Point. The areas referenced by a Principal

Meridian and a Base Line vary in size from a portion of a state to several states. Figure 6-17

shows the location of the Principal Meridians and the Base Lines.


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The basic unit of the rectangular survey system is the township. Each township is bounded by

two parallels of latitude and two meridians of longitude. A township measures 6 miles square

and contains 36 square secondary units called sections. Because meridians converge, however,

not all townships are perfectly square.

To allow for convergence of meridians toward the North Pole, secondary axes are located at 24-

mile intervals north and south of the Base Line and at 24-mile intervals (less convergence) east

and west of the Principal Meridian. The east-west axes (Standard Parallels) are continuous

throughout their length. They are true parallels and are encountered north and south of the Base

Line. For example, the third Standard Parallel south would be 72 miles south of the Base Line.

The north-south axes (Guide Meridians) are not continuous throughout their length because of

the convergence. They must be shifted at the Base Line and each Standard Parallel. They are

true meridians, however, and are counted east and west of the Principal Meridian.

Standard corners are located on the Base Line and on Standard Parallels at intervals of 2,640 feet

(40 chains). They are used to establish meridonial lines between parallels. Correction corners,

also called closing corners, are located on the Base Line and on Standard Parallels where the

meridonial lines coming from the standard corners of adjacent parallels meet the subject

Standard Parallel. The standard lines thus formed establish quadrangles measuring 24 miles

north and south and 24 miles (less convergence) east and west. Principal Meridians, Base Lines,

and Guide Meridians are illustrated in Figure 6-18.


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Each township is subdivided into 36 sections by section lines running east-west and north-south

at 1-mile intervals. The east-west section lines are parallel to both the north and south

boundaries of the township but the north-south section lines are parallel only to the east

boundary because of the convergence of the range lines. With the exception of those sections

along the north and the west boundaries, all sections are 1 mile square. Sections are numbered

consecutively, beginning with 1 in the northeast corner and ending with 36 in southeast corner.

A section is described by Number, Tier, Range, and Principal Meridian. A township with

standard sections is illustrated in Figure 6-20.


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Ideally, 25 of the 36 sections in a township each contain 640 acres total. The 10 sections along

the north and west boundaries (numbers 1-5, 7, 18, 19, 30, and 31) each contain 480 acres in

regular subdivisions plus 4 fractional lots, each containing 40 acres plus or minus adjustments.

Section 6 should contain 360 acres in regular subdivisions plus 7 fractional lots. The fractional

lots (also called fractional forties or government lots) are numbered beginning with 1 in the

northeast corner and numbering alternately east to west. Fractional lots also result from irregular

boundaries caused by meandering water bodies, mining claims, American Indian reservations,

and other factors.

The use of fractional lots was developed in order to provide as many good sections within a

township as possible. Because of the curvature of the earth (convergence of meridians) and

errors in the original surveys, it was not possible to have 36 good sections, and this method

provides a systematic way to address these problems. Fractional lots are illustrated in Figure 6-

21.

When the location of regular section corners occurs in navigable bodies of water, meander lines

are established roughly parallel to the bank. If a non-navigable body of water covers the point at

which a section corner would fall, the regular section lines are used. Meander lines typically run


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along the mean high-water mark (where vegetation ceases) in a series of straight lines. Meander

corners are located where the meander lines intersect the regular section lines. Meander lines do

not usually serve as property boundaries; they are primarily for mapping and surveying. Plats

prepared for field notes often show the meander lines as the water‘s edge, thus indicating that the

property boundary extends to the water boundary.

Subdividing Sections

The concept of land description using the PLSS is to identify a uniform size tract of land. The

following is an example of a government survey description: NE ¼ of the NW ¼ of Section 34,

TS 3 N, R 4 E of the Eighth Principal Meridian. Remember that all government survey

descriptions must be worked backwards. Figure 6-22 shows the process of arriving at an

individual parcel description from the Principal Meridian to the township and finally to a section.

The sections are then divided into uniform sizes.


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Irregularities

Unfortunately, irregularities are often found in areas that use PLSS. These irregularities are

typically caused either by poor surveying practice during the original program development or

by the fact that land passed to private ownership prior to the survey being completed.

An interesting application of the PLSS is found in the state of Ohio, where the system was

developed. The different concepts were explored, and as a result, the state of Ohio currently has

a mixture of systems; this is illustrated in Figure 6-23.

Another interesting example of an area that utilizes the PLSS is Louisiana, where the ownership

of land had already transferred to private individuals. Since the main method of transportation

was the waterways, it was important for all land to have access; this is illustrated by the ―ribbon

farms‖ or ‖long lots‖ (see Figure 6-24) that run back from the water.


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The PLSS is a simplified method of describing land. However, the cadastral mapper must be

aware of the potential for errors in the original surveys and the issues associated with converging

meridians. An accurate base map, especially with section corners located by surveyors and used

as the control, is a very valuable asset.

Platted Subdivision

A platted subdivision (see Figure 6-25) is the means of describing property by numbered lots.

Larger subdivisions often have multiple sections, phases, or ―blocks‖ that can also be included in

the description. Typically, a large property, formally described by either metes and bounds or

PLSS, is subdivided and re-described as a number of smaller properties called lots. Typical

descriptions for these types of properties are as follows:

Block 1 of Smith Subdivision as recorded in Plat Book 76 Page 230.

Lot 1 of Block 3 of the Jones Subdivision as recorded in Plat Book 25 Page 234.

Tract A of the Falling Water Plat as recorded in Plat Book 34 Page 54.


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The most difficult issue in mapping these types of properties is creating an insert or enlargement

of the platted area. The original area is identified on the smaller scale map (usually 1 inch = 400

feet rural map), and the coordinate values for the subdivision‘s exterior boundary are determined

and transferred to a larger scale map (usually 1‖ = 100 feet urban map). This identifies the

perimeter of the subdivision. The streets and individual lots can then be plotted on the larger

scale map at the desired scale. The larger the scale is sufficient to see the smaller lots and also to

add the needed additional data such as dimensions, street names, lot numbers, parcel numbers,

and so on.

Another interesting aspect of mapping subdivision plats is that most of them contain

considerable information useful to the cadastral mapper, including curve data (usually shown in a

curve data table), street widths, and adjoining properties. In most jurisdictions, before the legal

description of a property can change (from PLSS or metes and bounds) to the platted subdivision

method, a plat of the subdivision must be recorded at the county office that receives such

documents. If there is no official plat recorded, there is no authority to change a legal

description in the assessment books.


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During the late-1800s, land in the United States was being developed rapidly. In new cities and

towns, large landholders were subdividing and selling their land. The land and its subdivisions

(lots and blocks) were surveyed and mapped, and the map was recorded with the recorder of

deeds or other local government agency. Often the map was named, for example, ―Original

Town of Walnut Grove.‖ If the map contained a metes and bounds survey, it was possible, by

adding numbers to each scale unit, to create a legal description by simple reference to the units

and their numbers as shown on the map. A verbal example of such a description is as follows:

Lot 7, Block 2, tract 1523, filed February 24, 1955, in map book 35, at page 52, Office of

the Recorder.

This method of describing land was used in urbanized areas prior to the development of the

systematic system of platted subdivisions.

The platted subdivision method of describing land is widely used in all states. Because platted

subdivisions are typically based on good surveys and because several parcels are often covered

in this manner, these types of parcels should be mapped early in the initial mapping process.

Remember that the steps in the initial mapping process recommend road right-of-ways and

governmental boundaries as the first items of information to be mapped, followed by subdivided

property. The subdivided properties provide a level of control that is useful in this effort.

Once the initial mapping program is complete and the jurisdiction moves to the maintenance

mode, the mapping of platted subdivisions becomes part of the standard maintenance process.

As previously stated, platted subdivisions are usually based on good survey information, and the

exterior of the subdivision can provide survey data that improve the original mapping in some

areas.

The majority of legal descriptions in existence today are designed to define the outer boundaries

of tax parcel polygons as they appear to lie on a nearly flat plane upon the earth‘s surface and are

described by their relationship to the north, south, east, and west. However, increasing land

values, trends in real estate ownership, and new energy technologies are just some of the

socioeconomic factors that affect real estate ownership rights. Sometimes these property rights

have to be described in three dimensions. Often three-dimensional legal descriptions are referred

to as vertical or air-rights legal descriptions and typically are a combination of either a platted

subdivision or a metes and bounds description with the addition of elevation information. The

following are some examples of the need for three dimensional legal descriptions:

The airspace above an operating railroad property is sold to another owner to

build a high-rise office building. Both property interests have to be described.

Owners of commercial solar collectors or wind energy turbines need to own rights

to the airspace surrounding their devices, for obvious reasons.


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Surveyors sometimes use three dimensional legal descriptions in condominium

declarations when the condominium is in a mixed-use and –ownership building.

Townhome parcels are being built where one level of a building is shared by more

than one owner.

Some central business district subdivisions of multilevel buildings are now listed

with three dimensional lots at various elevations

A high-rise condominium association sells its parking garage located in the first

four floors of the building to a professional parking company. New three-

dimensional legal descriptions are needed for the garage and the condominiums.

This third dimension is the relationship of a point or points in a legal description to another

vertical point above or points on, above, or below the earth‘s surface. These vertical points are

often associated with sea level somewhere in the world. Near the ocean, the relationship of a

vertical point to sea level is meaningful. Somewhere in the center of the country, where ground

level is nowhere near the ocean, it can be difficult to visualize a vertical point referenced to sea

level. To make vertical points easier to envision, some local governments create a benchmark

that establishes a zero point in elevation. These benchmarks are usually referenced to sea level

somewhere. The following are very simple examples of two three-dimensional legal

descriptions that contain a multilevel commercial/office building located on Lot 1 in a

subdivision being sold to two individuals. One party will own the ground floor commercial

space, basement area, and below, and the other party will own the office space and above.

Parcel 1 (office Space)

That part of Lot 1 in the Columbia City Subdivision lying above an elevation of 225.67

feet sea level.

Parcel 2 (Retail Space)

That part of Lot 1 in the Columbia City Subdivision lying below an elevation of 225.67

feet sea level.


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UNIT 4

SOILS AND SOIL SURVEYS6

What is soil? (less technical)

Soil is a naturally occurring mixture of mineral and organic ingredients with a definite form,

structure, and composition. The exact composition of soil changes from one location to another.

The following is the average composition by volume of the major soil ingredients:

45% Minerals (clay, silt, sand, gravel, stones).

25% Water (the amount varies depending upon precipitation and the water-holding

capacity of the soil).

25% Air (an essential ingredient for living organisms).

5% Organic matter or humus (both living and dead organisms).

A soil is composed primarily of minerals which are produced from parent material that is

weathered or broken into small pieces. Beyond occasional stones, gravel, and other rock debris,

most of the mineral particles are called sand, silt, or clay. These mineral particles give soil

texture. Sand particles range in diameter from 2 mm to 0.05 mm, are easily seen with the unaided

eye, and feel gritty. [One millimeter (mm) is about the thickness of a dime.] Silt particles are

between 0.05 mm and 0.002 mm and feel like flour. Clay particles are smaller than 0.002 mm

and cannot be seen with the unaided eye. Clay particles are the most reactive mineral ingredient

in the soil. Wet clay usually feels sticky.

Water and air occupy the pore spaces—the area between the mineral particles. In these small

spaces, water and air are available for use by plants. These small pore spaces are essential to the

life of soil organisms, to soil productivity, and to plant growth.

The final ingredient of a soil is organic matter. It is comprised of dead plant and animal material

and the billions of living organisms that inhabit the soil.

(From "Conserving Soil," NRCS)

What is soil? (more technical)

Soil is a natural body which consists of solids (minerals and organic matter), liquid, and gases

that occurs on the land surface, occupies space, and is characterized by one or both of the

following: (1) horizons, or layers, that are distinguishable from the initial material as a result of

additions, losses, transfers, and transformations of energy and matter or (2) the ability to support

6 The information contained in Unit 4 comes from the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Web Soil Survey website. http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx when selecting an area of interest to gather soils information, the student may then view selected topics of information under the Intro to Soils tab. For purposes of this manual, the major topics of Introduction to Soils, Cropland, Pastureland and Hayland, Rangeland, and Urban Uses have been selected. This information contains source references that are included in the NRCS material on the Web Soil Survey site.


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rooted plants in a natural environment. The upper limit of soil is the boundary between soil and

air, shallow water, live plants, or plant materials that have not begun to decompose.

Areas are not considered to have soil if the surface is permanently covered by water too deep

(typically more than 2.5 meters) for the growth of rooted plants. The lower boundary that

separates soil from the nonsoil underneath is most difficult to define. Soil consists of horizons

near the earth's surface that, in contrast to the underlying parent material, have been altered by

the interactions of climate, relief, and living organisms over time. Commonly, soil grades at its

lower boundary to hard rock or to earthy materials virtually devoid of animals, roots, or other

marks of biological activity. For purposes of classification, the lower boundary of soil is

arbitrarily set at 2 meters.

(From "Soil Taxonomy," second edition, 1999)

How does soil form?

Soils develop as a result of the interactions of climate, living organisms, and landscape position

as they influence parent material decomposition over time. Differences in climate, parent

material, landscape position, and living organisms from one location to another as well as the

amount of time the material has been in place all influence the soil-forming process.

The five soil-forming factors are:

Parent material,

Climate,

Living organisms,

Landscape position, and

Time.

Parent Material

Parent material refers to that great variety of unconsolidated organic (such as fresh peat) and

mineral material in which soil formation begins. Mineral material includes partially weathered

rock, ash from volcanoes, sediments moved and deposited by wind and water, or ground-up rock

deposited by glaciers. The material has a strong effect on the type of soil developed as well as

the rate at which development takes place. Soil development may take place quicker in materials

that are more permeable to water. Dense, massive, clayey materials can be resistant to soil

formation processes. In soils developed from sandy parent material, the A horizon may be a little

darker than its parent material, but the B horizon tends to have a similar color, texture, and

chemical composition.

Climate

Climate is a major factor in determining the kind of plant and animal life on and in the soil. It

determines the amount of water available for weathering minerals and transporting the minerals


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and elements released. Climate through its influence on soil temperature, determines the rate of

chemical weathering.

Warm, moist climates encourage rapid plant growth and thus high organic matter production.

The opposite is true for cold, dry climates. Organic matter decomposition is also accelerated in

warm, moist climates. Under the control of climate, freezing and thawing or wetting and drying

break parent material apart.

Rainfall causes leaching. Rain dissolves some minerals, such as carbonates, and transports them

deeper into the soil. Some acid soils have developed from parent materials that originally

contained limestone. Rainfall can also be acid, especially downwind from industrial production.

Living organisms

Plants affect soil development by supplying upper layers with organic matter, recycling nutrients

from lower to upper layers, and helping to prevent erosion. In general, deep rooted plants

contribute more to soil development than shallow rooted ones because the passages they create

allow greater water movement, which in turn aids in leaching. Leaves, twigs, and bark from large

plants fall onto the soil and are broken down by fungi, bacteria, insects, earthworms, and

burrowing animals. These organisms eat and break down organic matter releasing plant nutrients.

Some change certain elements, such as sulfur and nitrogen, into usable forms for plants.

Microscopic organisms and the humus they produce also act as a kind of glue to hold soil

particles together in aggregates. Well-aggregated soil is ideal for providing the right combination

of air and water to plant roots.

Landscape position

Landscape position causes localized changes in moisture and temperature. When rain falls on a

landscape, water begins to move downward by the force of gravity, either through the soil or

across the surface to a lower elevation. Even though the landscape has the same soil-forming

factors of climate, organisms, parent material, and time, drier soils at higher elevations may be

quite different from the wetter soils where water accumulates. Wetter areas may have reducing

conditions that will inhibit proper root growth for plants that require a balance of soil oxygen,

water, and nutrients.

Steepness, shape, and length of slope are important because they influence the rate at which

water flows into or off the soil. If unprotected, soils on slopes may erode leaving a thinner

surface layer. Eroded soils tend to be less fertile and have less available water than uneroded

soils of the same series.

Aspect affects soil temperature. Generally, for most of the continental United States, soils on

north-facing slopes tend to be cooler and wetter than soils on south-facing slopes. Soils on north-

facing slopes tend to have thicker A and B horizons and tend to be less droughty.


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Time

Time is required for horizon formation. The longer a soil surface has been exposed to soil-

forming agents like rain and growing plants, the greater the development of the soil profile. Soils

in recent alluvial or windblown materials, or soils on steep slopes where erosion has been active

may show very little horizon development.

Soils on older, stable surfaces generally have well-defined horizons because the rate of soil

formation has exceeded the rate of geologic erosion or deposition. As soils age, many original

minerals are destroyed. Many new ones are formed. Soils become more leached, more acid, and

more clayey. In many well drained soils, the B horizons tend to become redder in color with

time.

(Found in "From the Surface Down," NRCS)

What are soil horizons?

Soils are deposited in or developed into layers. These layers, called horizons, can be seen where

roads have been cut through hills, where streams have scoured through valleys, or in other areas

where the soil is exposed.

Where soil-forming factors are favorable, five or six master horizons may be in a mineral soil

profile. Each master horizon is subdivided into specific layers that have a unique identity. The

thickness of each layer varies with location. Under disturbed conditions, such as intensive

agriculture, or where erosion is severe, not all horizons will be present. Young soils have fewer

major horizons.

The uppermost layer generally is an organic horizon, or O horizon. It consists of fresh and

decaying plant residue from such sources as leaves, needles, twigs, moss, lichens, and other

organic material accumulations. Some organic materials were deposited under water. The

subdivisions Oa, Oe, and Oi are used to identify levels of decomposition. The O horizon is dark

because decomposition is producing humus.

Below the O horizon is the A horizon. The A horizon is mainly mineral material. It is generally

darker than the lower horizons because of the varying amounts of humified organic matter. This

horizon is where most root activity occurs and is usually the most productive layer of soil. It may

be referred to as a surface layer in a soil survey. An A horizon that has been buried beneath more

recent deposits is designated as Ab.

The E horizon generally is bleached or whitish in appearance. As water moves down through this

horizon, soluble minerals and nutrients dissolve and some dissolved materials are washed

(leached) out. The main feature of this horizon is the loss of silicate clay, iron, aluminum,

humus, or some combination of these, leaving a concentration of sand and silt particles.

Below the A or E horizon is the B horizon, or subsoil. The B horizon is usually lighter colored,

denser, and lower in organic matter than the A horizon. It commonly is the zone where leached

materials accumulate. The B horizon is further defined by the materials that make up the

accumulation, such as the letter t in the designation Bt, which identifies that clay has

accumulated. Other illuvial concentrations or accumulations include iron, aluminum, humus,


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carbonates, gypsum, or silica. Soil not having recognizable concentrations within B horizons but

showing a color or structural difference from adjacent horizons is designated Bw.

Still deeper is the C horizon or substratum. The C horizon may consist of less clay, or other less

weathered sediments. Partially disintegrated parent material and mineral particles are in this

horizon. Some soils have a soft bedrock horizon that is given the designation Cr. C horizons

described as 2C consist of different material, usually of an older age than horizons which overlie

it.

The lowest horizon, the R horizon, is bedrock. Bedrock can be within a few inches of the surface

or many feet below the surface. Where bedrock is very deep and below normal depths of

observation, an R horizon is not described.


What is a soil scientist?

A soil scientist studies the upper few meters of the earth's crust in terms of its physical and

chemical properties; distribution, genesis and morphology; and biological components. A soil

scientist needs a strong background in the physical and biological sciences and mathematics.

(From "Careers in Soil Science" http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/edu/

?cid=nrcs142p2_054277 )

What is a soil survey?

One of the main tools available to help land users determine the potentials and limitations of

soils is a soil survey. Soil surveys are available through the USDA, Natural Resources

Conservation Service (NRCS). The surveys are made by NRCS in cooperation with other

Federal, State, and local agencies. Our offices can provide this information, but more and more

soil surveys are also available on the Internet. Web Soil Survey allows you to produce a

customized soil survey for your own area of interest.

A soil survey generally contains soils data for one county, parish, or other geographic area, such

as a major land resource area. During a soil survey, soil scientists walk over the landscapes, bore

holes with soil augers, and examine cross sections of soil profiles. They determine the texture,

color, structure, and reaction of the soil and the relationship and thickness of the different soil

horizons. Some soils are sampled and tested at soil survey laboratories for certain soil property

determinations, such as cation-exchange capacity and bulk density.

Like any tool, a soil survey is helpful only if you know what it can and can't do, and if you use it

accordingly. The survey does not replace careful onsite investigation or analysis by a soil

scientist


http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/edu/?cid=nrcs142p2_054277

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/edu/?cid=nrcs142p2_054277


30 | P a g e

Who uses a soil survey?

Soil surveys available from the Natural Resources Conservation Service are intended for many

different users. They can help homebuyers or developers determine soil-related hazards or

limitations that affect homesites. They can help land use planners determine the suitability of

areas for housing or onsite sewage disposal systems. They can help farmers estimate the

potential crop or forage production of his land. They can be used to determine the suitability and

limitations of soils for pipelines, buildings, landfills, recreation areas, and many other uses.

Many people assume that soils are all more or less alike. They are unaware that great differences

in soil properties can occur within even short distances. Soils may be seasonally wet or subject to

flooding. They may be shallow to bedrock. They may be too unstable to be used as a foundation

for buildings or roads. Very clayey or wet soils are poorly suited to septic tank absorption fields.

A high water table makes a soil poorly suited to basements or underground installations.

These soil properties and many others that affect land use are given in soil surveys. Each soil

survey describes the properties of soils in the county or area surveyed and shows the location of

each kind of soil on detailed maps.

What is a map unit?

A map unit delineation on a soil map represents an area dominated by one or more major kinds

of soil or miscellaneous areas. A map unit is identified and named according to the taxonomic

classification of the dominant soils. Within a taxonomic class there are precisely defined limits

for the properties of the soils. On the landscape, however, the soils are natural phenomena, and

they have the characteristic variability of all natural phenomena. Thus, the range of some

observed properties may extend beyond the limits defined for a taxonomic class. Areas of soils

of a single taxonomic class rarely, if ever, can be mapped without including areas of other

taxonomic classes. Consequently, every map unit is made up of the soils or miscellaneous areas

for which it is named and some minor components that belong to taxonomic classes other than

those of the major soils.

Most minor soils have properties similar to those of the dominant soil or soils in the map unit,

and thus they do not affect use and management. These are called noncontrasting, or similar,

components. They may or may not be mentioned in a particular map unit description. Other

minor components, however, have properties and behavioral characteristics divergent enough to

affect use or to require different management. These are called contrasting, or dissimilar,

components. They generally are in small areas and could not be mapped separately because of

the scale used. Some small areas of strongly contrasting soils or miscellaneous areas are

identified by a special symbol on the maps. The contrasting components are mentioned in the

map unit descriptions. A few areas of minor components may not have been observed, and

consequently they are not mentioned in the descriptions, especially where the pattern was so

complex that it was impractical to make enough observations to identify all the soils and

miscellaneous areas on the landscape.

The presence of minor components in a map unit in no way diminishes the usefulness or

accuracy of the data. The objective of mapping is not to delineate pure taxonomic classes but

rather to separate the landscape into landforms or landform segments that have similar use and


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management requirements. The delineation of such segments on the map provides sufficient

information for the development of resource plans. If intensive use of small areas is planned,

however, onsite investigation is needed to define and locate the soils and miscellaneous areas.

What is a consociation, complex, association, undifferentiated group, or miscellaneous

area?

A consociation is a kind of map unit that consists of one major soil or miscellaneous area plus

any components of minor extent. The major component is identified in the map unit name.

"Consociation" is a coined term.

Some map units are made up of two or more major soils or miscellaneous areas. These map units

are complexes, associations, or undifferentiated groups.

A complex consists of two or more soils or miscellaneous areas in such an intricate pattern or in

such small areas that they cannot be shown separately on the maps. The pattern and proportion of

the soils or miscellaneous areas are somewhat similar in all areas.

An association is made up of two or more geographically associated soils or miscellaneous areas

that are shown as one unit on the maps. Because of present or anticipated uses of the map units in

the survey area, it was not considered practical or necessary to map the soils or miscellaneous

areas separately. The pattern and relative proportion of the soils or miscellaneous areas are

somewhat similar.

An undifferentiated group is made up of two or more soils or miscellaneous areas that could be

mapped individually but are mapped as one unit because similar interpretations can be made for

use and management. The pattern and proportion of the soils or miscellaneous areas in a mapped

area are not uniform. An area can be made up of only one of the major soils or miscellaneous

areas, or it can be made up of all of them.

Miscellaneous areas have little or no soil material and support little or no vegetation.

What is an Official Series Description?

The Official Soil Series Descriptions (OSD) is a national collection of more than 20,000 detailed

soil series descriptions, covering the United States, Territories, Commonwealths, and Island

Nations served by USDA-NRCS. The descriptions, in a text format, serve as a national standard.

The soil series is the lowest category of the national soil classification system. The name of a soil

series is the common reference term, used to name soil map units. Soil series are the most

homogenous classes in the system of taxonomy. "Official Soil Series Descriptions" define

specific soil series in the United States, Territories, Commonwealths, and Island Nations served

by USDA-NRCS. They are descriptions of the taxa in the series category of the national system

of soil classification. They serve mainly as specification for identifying and classifying soils. The

descriptions contain soil properties that define the soil series, distinguish it from other soil series,

serve as the basis for the placement of that soil series in the soil family, and provide a record of

soil properties needed to prepare soil interpretations.


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(From "OSD Fact Sheet" http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/home/

?cid=nrcs142p2_053586 )

INFORMATION FOR LAND USERS

Homebuyers

The foundation supports the walls, the walls support the roof, and the soil holds them all. But

how can you tell if the soil will be a good "home" for your house? You need to answer some

important questions:

Is the soil stable, or does it have properties that can cause the foundation or walls to

crack?

Is the soil in an area subject to flooding?

Will storm runoff drain safely away from the house and lot? Or will it turn your yard,

or basement, into a pond?

Does the soil have a seasonal high water table that can cause a basement to flood or a

septic system to fail?

Is the soil deep enough for a basement to be dug economically? For garden and

landscape plants to take root and thrive?

Is the soil so steep that erosion may be severe?

A soil survey can help you answer these and many other questions about the soil.

Land Use Planners

Soil surveys can help planners make and substantiate the decisions that local government

officials translate into zoning ordinances, building permits, authorizations for sewer extension,

and other regulations that mold a growing community. Information about soil limitations for

given uses helps prevent major mistakes in land use and unnecessary costs to individuals and the

community.

Soil surveys help in determining the extent of floodprone areas, and they rate the hazards that

affect use of soils in such areas. In many states soil surveys are used to guide municipal and

other government agencies in restricting the use of flood plains for housing, septic tank

absorption fields, and other forms of intensive development.

Zoning areas for housing, recreation, commercial, and other kinds of development should take

account of the suitability and limitations of soils for such uses. Soil surveys describe soil

properties in detail and can help planners establish general patterns of soil suitability and

limitations for various land uses.

Erosion and sedimentation may increase where land is being developed. Sediment has become a

major pollutant, and communities throughout the nation spend millions of dollars every year just

to remove sediment from drinking water.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/home/?cid=nrcs142p2_053586

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Planners and other authorities can use soil maps and soil data to identify sources of sediment and

to develop plans for controlling erosion and sedimentation.

Septic tank absorption fields do not work in wet or impermeable soils. Soil surveys provide

detailed descriptions of soil properties that can be used to determine the suitability of areas for

absorption fields. They indicate soil hazards that affect absorption fields, such as slow

permeability caused by high clay content, the presence of a high water table, or excessive

permeability that may allow effluent to pollute ground water. In many parts of the United States

soil surveys are used as a basis for ordinances that regulate use of land for septic tank absorption

fields.

Through use of soil surveys, roads and highways can be routed to avoid major soil hazards, and

sources of borrow material needed in constructing highways can be located. Contractors can bid

for work more accurately and can consider soil suitability and limitations in planning and

designing specific structures.

Recreation uses of land should be based on suitability of soils. Soil surveys can help in

identifying areas suitable for campsites, golf courses, manmade fishponds, and many other

recreation facilities. They also can help in planning the construction and layout of large

recreation areas that have restrooms, parking areas, outbuildings, and other structures.

Prime farmland can be identified through use of soil surveys. Other areas suited to development

and not so well suited to farming may be selected for development instead.

In planning uses for specific areas, an onsite investigation by a trained professional can

determine if there are any soil hazards or limitations, and whether these can be overcome by

corrective measures.

Appraisers

In appraising the income potential of farmland it is essential to distinguish between income

differences caused by soil properties and those caused by management. If two farms are

managed in much the same way and still show differences in income, it is likely that the soils

differ in inherent productivity. Likewise, two farms that have identical soil resources have the

same potential productivity even if they are now managed differently.

Soil surveys available from the Natural Resources Conservation Service can help bankers, loan

companies, tax assessors, farmers, and others who need to know about the productivity of

farmland obtain reliable estimates of the potential productivity of soils in their area.

Developers and Builders

As a developer or builder, you probably know of construction projects on which time and money

were lost because of unforeseen soil hazards. Soil surveys available from the Natural Resources

Conservation Service (NRCS) can help you anticipate soil hazards at proposed construction

areas, plan optimum development, and ensure adequate conservation during and after

construction.


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Soil surveys can help you determine whether tracts are suitable for development and avoid cost

overruns caused by unforeseen soil hazards. By studying soil maps and supporting data in soil

surveys, you can determine the soil conditions in areas where you plan to build and decide what

additional investigations, if any, are needed. Soil surveys can help you avoid the unnecessary

complications that attend failure of foundations, soil slippage, flooded basements, and other

structural breakdowns caused by adverse soil properties. Special foundations, walls, and floor

drains can be planned if soil hazards indicate that buildings of standard design would likely fail.

Soil surveys describe soil properties in detail so that you can anticipate such problems and

prepare alternative designs or select other areas for development.

Waste Disposal Entities

Whether you are a homeowner, land use planner, board of health official, county sanitarian, or

land developer, waste management concerns you. Soil surveys available from the Natural

Resources Conservation Service can help in planning the disposal of liquid and solid wastes

through septic tank absorption fields, sewage lagoons, and sanitary landfills.

Septic Tank Absorption Fields

Because of rapid suburban expansion, the number of homes that do not have access to a public

sewage disposal system has increased greatly. The most common system for individual homes is

one in which the sewer line from the house leads to an underground septic tank in the yard.

Overflow from the tank disperses into the soil through a system of underground drains or

perforated pipes.

To design a system that will work, you need to know the capacity of the soil to absorb effluent.

Movement of effluent through soil is determined mainly by the porosity of the soil, the size of

the soil particles, and by the kind of clay in the soil. Effluent moves faster through sandy and

gravelly soils than through clayey soils. Soils high in clay content have limited pore space for

holding effluent. Some kinds of clay expand when wet and close the pores entirely. Such soils

are unsuitable for absorption fields. If the soil is not porous, the effluent simply builds up and

seeps to the surface.

Soils that have a high water table may be saturated part of the year. A saturated soil cannot

absorb additional liquid, and the unfiltered septic tank effluent discharged into the drains may

seep to the surface. If there is a seasonal high water table, the septic tank absorption field may

work in dry seasons but fail in wet seasons.

Soil that is shallow to rock or soil that has a cemented layer just below the bottom of the trench

in which drains are laid lacks space for the effluent to be absorbed. About 4 feet of soil material

between the bottom of the trench and any rock formation is necessary for absorption, filtration,

and purification of septic tank effluent. More than 4 feet may be required if the underlying rock

is limestone that contains water used for domestic use.

Steep slopes—15 percent or steeper—make it difficult to control the distribution of effluent.

Effluent distributed into soil on a steep slope may seep onto the ground surface at a lower level.

Digging drain trenches on the contour insures that the effluent flows slowly through the drains

and disperses throughout the absorption field.


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Soils that are subject to flooding should not be used for absorption fields. Flooding destroys the

effectiveness of the field and allows unfiltered effluent to pollute the stream.

Before a septic tank absorption field or onsite sewage facility is designed for a specific area, an

onsite investigation by a trained professional can determine if there are any soil hazards or

limitations and whether these can be overcome by corrective measures.

Sewage Lagoons

Sewage lagoons are shallow manmade ponds used to hold sewage for the time required for

bacterial decomposition, after which the clarified water is released from the lagoon.

The lagoon must be capable of holding water with a minimum of seepage. The soil material in

the bottom of the lagoon and in the embankment should be free of stones and boulders that

interfere with compaction. Porous soils have severe limitations for sewage lagoons because

water moves through the soil too rapidly.

The soil also should be low in organic-matter content to reduce the potential growth of aquatic

plants. There should be no hazard of flooding, and the depth to water table should be at least 40

inches. Slope should be no more than about 7 percent.

Sanitary Landfills

Sanitary landfill is one way to dispose of garbage, boxes, plastic and metal containers, and other

solid wastes. Refuse is spread, compacted, and covered with soil material daily.

Landfill cannot be placed just anywhere. The properties of the soil and the kind of management

determine the success of a sanitary landfill.

Soils used for landfill should not be subject to flooding or have a high water table. Flooding the

landfill causes pollution of offsite areas. If the water table is seasonally high, leachate from the

landfill may contaminate ground water.

Steep slopes cause an erosion hazard. More care is needed on sloping to steep soils to dispose of

runoff water, including that from adjacent higher elevations. More grading is required for the

roads that lead to and from a landfill on sloping to steep soils than on nearly level soils. Soils

used for landfill should be easy to excavate and should hold up under heavy vehicular traffic in

all kinds of weather. Most fine-textured (high clay content) soils are plastic and sticky when wet

and are difficult to excavate, grade, and compact.

Water movement through the soil should be moderate to slow to retard the movement of leachate

from the landfill into underlying layers where it may pollute ground water.

Cover material must be easy to dig, move, and spread over the refuse during both wet and dry

periods. It must be easy to compact to reduce the rate of water intake. The area from which the

cover material is taken should be suitable for revegetating in order to prevent erosion in the

borrow area. Soil used for the final cover layer should be well suited to the growth of plants.


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Disposing of Other Kinds of Waste

Research is being conducted on the disposal of many kinds of wastes into soils. Such wastes

include animal wastes from feedlots; residues from vegetable, meat, poultry, and dairy

processing plants; chemicals used for fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides; and effluent and

sludge from municipal sewage plants.

Basic factors to consider in disposing of these wastes into the soil are the ability of the soil to

assimilate wastes safely, the quality of the waste, particularly its content of nutrients and heavy

metals, and the ability of vegetation grown in the disposal areas to utilize the nutrients in the

waste. Soil properties that affect use for landfills also affect use of soils for disposing of other

kinds of wastes.

Park Boards and Recreation Area Planners

More ski resorts, dude ranches, camps, parks, picnic areas, and other private and public

recreation areas are needed to meet the growing demand for recreation. But just because

recreation is for fun does not mean the selection and layout of areas can be haphazard. Soil

suitability and limitations should be considered in planning recreation areas.

This Web site tells how soil surveys available from the Natural Resources Conservation Service

can help you select tracts suitable for recreation development and plan adequate conservation to

ensure that the areas remain attractive and usable.

Why Soil Data Are Needed

It cannot be assumed that just any piece of land can be used for recreation. Some soils are as

unsuitable for recreation as they are for supporting buildings or for growing oranges. Among the

soil properties that affect recreation uses are the following.

Flood hazard severely limits use of soils for camps and recreation buildings, but such soils are

suitable for hiking and nature study and other less intensive uses.

High water tables impose severe limitations on use of soils for campsites, roads and trails,

playgrounds, and picnic areas.

Droughtiness makes it difficult to grow grass needed to prevent erosion, and droughty soils may

require irrigation to maintain vegetation.

Some clayey soils swell when wet and shrink when dry. This shrinking and swelling may

damage floors and foundations of recreation buildings. Such soils may fail to support roads and

other structures unless special design is used.

Steep slopes limit the use of soils for playgrounds, campsites, buildings, roads, and trails, but are

appropriate for hiking areas.

If bedrock is at shallow depth, it is difficult to level soils for playgrounds and campsites, to

construct roads and trails, and to establish vegetation. Shallow soils are poorly suited for uses

that require extensive grading.


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A clayey or sandy surface layer makes some soils undesirable for playgrounds, campsites, or

other uses that require heavy foot traffic.

Soils high in clay content are sticky when wet and remain wet for long periods after rains. Loose

sandy soils are unstable and dusty when dry. Sandy loam and loam soils are the most suitable for

recreation uses that require heavy foot traffic.

Stones, gravel, and rocks impose moderate to severe limitations on use of soils for campsites,

playgrounds, trails, and other uses that require heavy foot traffic.

The absorptive capacity of soils determines whether a septic tank absorption field will work. The

soil should be deep and permeable, there should be no seasonal high water table, the slope should

not be steep, and there should be no danger of flooding.

Suitability for impounding water determines whether the soil can be used for manmade

fishponds. Ponds are desirable for other recreation uses, such as shooting preserves, dude

ranches, vacation farms, and wildlife and nature study areas. Soils suited to manmade ponds

generally are deep, have low permeability when compacted, are not steep, and have a low

susceptibility to piping.

Selecting Recreation Areas

Soil surveys can help you select areas suitable for a wide range of recreation uses, including the

following:

wetland refuges for waterfowl

wildlife management

open space or nature study areas

parks

athletic fields

ski areas

golf courses

campsites, hiking trails, and picnic areas

dude ranches

woodlands

hunting reserves

manmade ponds

Maintaining Recreation Areas

For the manager of a ski resort, dude ranch, camp, park, picnic area, playground, or other private

or public recreation area, a soil survey can provide information necessary for planning a


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conservation program to protect the area against erosion and other kinds of site damage. A soil

survey can guide you in selecting a use for each area, based on the suitability of the soil. For

example, soils that are susceptible to erosion can be planted to trees, shrubs, and grasses and

used in a nonintensive way, such as for nature study. Loamy, well-drained soils can be used for

play areas and other uses that require heavy foot traffic.

A soil survey also helps in determining the kind of conservation measures needed to protect the

soils while in use. Soil information, which for many years has helped farmers and ranchers

prepare conservation plans, can also be used by a camp operator or manager of any recreation

area. Vegetation adapted to the soil can be selected and planted to protect the soil from erosion.

Dams, terraces, diversions, waterways, and other mechanical measures to control water runoff

can be installed in critical areas. In wet areas, if the soil and topography permit and if outlets are

available, drains can be installed.

An onsite investigation of a specific site by a trained professional can determine if there are any

soil hazards or limitations, and whether these can be overcome by corrective measures.

Construction Engineers

On many construction projects a major soil hazard is discovered only after the site has been

selected and construction is underway. The unforeseen hazard generally leads to delays in

construction and to cost overruns.

If soil hazards are known before construction begins, special compensating designs can be

prepared in advance or alternate sites can be selected. Although nearly any site can be made

suitable for most uses if enough money is spent, avoiding poor sites where possible helps keep

construction and maintenance costs to a minimum.

Soil surveys available from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can help

engineers anticipate soil-related hazards that affect construction of buildings, highways,

pipelines, transmission lines, and similar installations.

Determining Soil Hazards

Soil surveys show the location of and describe each kind of soil in the county or area and

describe the soil properties. These data can help engineers anticipate soil-related problems and

plan onsite inspection. Failure to investigate adequately may lead to expensive delays in

construction or eventual structural breakdown.

How Soil Surveys Can Help Engineers

Construction engineers are particularly interested in soil properties that may require special

structural measures to overcome or special maintenance once construction is completed. Soil

surveys describe important soil properties that affect construction, including the following:

Shrink-swell potential: Certain kinds of clay soils expand when wet and shrink when dry,

and special foundations are required to compensate for this movement. Soil surveys

identify soils that have large shrink-swell potential.


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Wetness: Soil surveys provide data on natural soil drainage, permeability, depth to

seasonal water table, and suitability for winter grading for various kinds of soils. They

can help engineers anticipate seasonal limitations on the use of heavy machinery for

earthmoving and compacting and estimate the hazard of flooding or damage to

underground structures caused by soil wetness.

Depth to bedrock: Soil surveys show areas where bedrock is at a depth of less than 5 or 6

feet and indicate the kind of bedrock.

Erodibility: Soil surveys provide information on how susceptible each soil is to erosion.

Slope is only one factor contributing to erodibility. Other soil properties are also

important, especially those properties that determine the cohesiveness of soil particles.

These properties commonly vary within different layers of the same soil and cause

different degrees of erodibility in different soil layers.

Flood hazard: The hazards of flooding and ponding are rated in soil surveys, and flood-

prone areas are shown on soil maps. Such information does not take the place of

hydrologic studies to determine the severest flood expected once in 10, 25, 50, or 100

years, but it does provide reliable estimates of areas where floods are most likely.

Slope: Slope gradient is a determining factor in establishing the final grade of a

construction site and the amount of cut and fill needed to achieve the final grade. Ranges

in slope are recorded in soil surveys, and areas where cuts and fills may be needed can be

identified by studying soil maps. Slope particularly affects the installation of underground

conduits and the construction of roads and highways.

Bearing capacity: Soil surveys give estimates of the particle size and plasticity of soils,

and each soil layer is classified according to the Unified and the AASTHO systems.

These classifications help in evaluating soils for shallow foundations and determining

ease of compaction, ease of winter grading, trafficability, density, moisture relationships,

susceptibility to frost action, and other properties.

Corrosion potential: Standard concrete deteriorates rapidly in very acid soils, and steel

corrodes in soils that are highly saline or acid. The corrosion potential of each kind of soil

is rated in soil surveys.

Organic layers: Muck and peat are very soft and unstable, and if drained, they subside.

Areas of organic soils are shown in soil surveys, and the thickness of organic layers is

indicated.

Ease of excavation: Excavating friable soils may cost half as much as excavating soils

that are hard and compact. Sticky, clayey soils are difficult to spread in thin layers. Some

soils are very susceptible to sloughing in trenches; others are stable. All these properties

may differ from layer to layer in the same soil. Data presented in soil surveys can be used

by engineers to anticipate earthmoving problems and to prepare more accurate bids for

earth-moving.

Soil surveys also provide interpretations of the effect of soil properties on many kinds of land

use. These interpretations and other data can be used to determine soil suitability as a source of

topsoil, sand and gravel, roadfill for highway subgrade, and impermeable material. The


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interpretations also show the degree and kind of limitations of soils if used for septic tank

absorption fields, foundations for low buildings, underground utility lines, pipelines, highways,

roads, streets, and parking lots.

Farmers and Ranchers

As farmer or rancher you don't have time or capital to spend on elaborate agricultural research

and experiments or on mapping and studying soils. But you are interested in the results of such

studies if they can help you to manage more profitably.

Soil surveys contain detailed maps and descriptions of soils in your area. This information can

contribute to the management of your farm or ranch. For specific sites and uses, an onsite

investigation of the soils by a trained professional can determine if there are any soil hazards or

limitations, and whether these can be overcome by corrective measures.

How Soil Surveys Can Help Farmers

To stay in business, farmers have to evaluate important developments in agricultural

management. A soil survey can play a major part in this aspect of managing a farm.

Management practices: Farm production depends largely on fitting soil management practices to

the soil properties as accurately as possible. It is the right combination of a number of practices

that gets optimum results. Researchers try various combinations of fertilizers, tillage methods,

water management, and conservation measures. Combinations that produce the greatest yields at

the least cost on soils at experiment stations can be expected to give equally good results on

similar soils elsewhere. Soil descriptions presented in the soil survey of your area can help you

evaluate prospective changes in management of your soils.

New practices also are constantly on trial at state and other agricultural experiment stations. By

comparing soils at such stations with those described in the soil survey of your area, you can

estimate the likely success of new practices on your farm.

Special crops: You may want to know if new or special crops will work for you. The soil

survey of your area describes soil properties that affect crop growth and provides

information that could save you costly experiments in determining the best way to

manage your land for unfamiliar crops.

Crop yields: Estimated yields of major crops under a high level of management are

included in published soil surveys. The estimated yields can help you calculate

approximately what returns to expect on your soils and determine whether a high level of

management would increase yields enough to pay the extra cost.

Conservation plan: A soil survey can help you determine how intensively you can use

your soils without damage. It also helps in determining what conservation measures are

needed to control erosion and maintain or increase the productivity of your farm.

Reclaiming land: Some severely eroded soils respond readily to soil treatments, such as

fertilizer, lime, and green manure, but other soils respond very poorly. A soil survey can

help you decide whether added treatment to reclaim soils is likely to succeed.


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Waste disposal: Feedlots, poultry and broiler plants, and dairy farms dispose of manure

and other wastes into soils. A soil survey helps in determining how much waste the soils

can absorb and in what form.

Recreation: A soil survey can help in selecting areas suitable for manmade ponds. It also

can help in planning development of land for fee fishing, hunting, camping, and other

recreation facilities used to supplement income.

How Soil Surveys Can Help Ranchers

As a rancher, you want the greatest amount of high-quality forage from your range. Because

forage yields depend in large part on soil properties, detailed knowledge of the soils on your

ranch can help you manage your range more effectively.

Range potential: A soil survey provides detailed soil descriptions that can help you relate

the kinds of soil on your ranch to the distinctive kind and amount of vegetation each soil

can support. Soil texture, depth, wetness, available water, slope, and topographic position

are among the important soil properties that affect range potential. Deep loamy soils on

bottom lands may produce the most desirable range plants. On uplands where rainfall is

moderate, medium-textured soils that take in water readily may produce desirable plants

if grazing is controlled. In some dry areas sandy soils are more productive than clayey

soils. Grouping the soils on your range according to their potential productivity helps you

plan the kind of management needed to increase forage yields.

Range management: A soil survey can help you estimate the likely benefits of

management practices. For example, the soil in an area of brush or mesquite may have

such low potential productivity that the cost of chaining or chemical removal may not be

worth the ultimate yield in forage. On the other hand, there may be rocky areas or

hillsides where the soils are capable of producing more forage if properly managed. A

soil survey can help you determine such natural differences in productivity.

Grazing management: If range is overgrazed, desirable plants decrease and less desirable

plants may take over the site. A soil survey can help you identify soils that are producing

at less than their potential. Each soil survey names the main species of desirable and

undesirable range plants that grow on the soils and provide estimates of forage yields

than can be expected under favorable and unfavorable conditions.

Pasture, hay, and silage: You may need to grow more winter feed or establish more

pasture. A soil survey rates soil suitability for hay and pasture plants so that you can

determine which areas will be most productive for this use.

Wildlife and recreation: To supplement income, many ranchers use their land for fee

hunting or other kinds of recreation. A soil survey provides information that can help you

manage your land for wildlife habitat or identify areas suitable for recreation

development.

Conservation plan: A soil survey can help you plan conservation management of your

range. Soil maps and soil descriptions help you identify problem areas, select suitable


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areas for stock ponds, and establish schedules for grazing and proper use of the soils on

your range.

What Soil Data Are Available?

Soil surveys contain detailed maps and descriptions of soils and they provide interpretations of

soil properties for farming and ranching where such land use is practiced. Among the soil

properties that affect use of soils for farming and ranching are the content of sand, silt, and clay,

acidity and alkalinity, flood hazard, depth to water table, natural drainage, erodibility, organic-

matter content, and fertility. These and many other properties described in soil surveys provide

basic information for managing soils on a farm or ranch.

To determine whether a soil survey of your area is available, call the local office of the Natural

Resources Conservation Service. The soil conservationist or soil scientist will welcome an

opportunity to discuss conservation management of your soils with you.

CROPLAND

Cropland is defined as a land cover or land use category that includes areas used for the

production of adapted crops for harvest. Two subcategories of cropland are recognized:

cultivated and noncultivated. Cultivated cropland is land that is used for either row crops or

close-grown crops. Hayland or pastureland that is in a rotation with row crops or close-grown

crops also is considered cultivated cropland. Noncultivated cropland includes permanent hayland

and horticultural cropland.

Reference:

"2001 Annual NRI Glossary of Key Terms," National Resources Inventory, USDA, NRCS

Land Capability Classification

Determinations of land capability involve consideration of the risks of land damage from erosion

and other causes and the difficulties in land use resulting from physical land characteristics and

from climate. Land capability, as used in the USA, is an expression of the effect of physical land

characteristics and climate on the suitability of soils for crops that require regular tillage, for

grazing, for woodland, and for wildlife habitat.

Land capability classification shows, in a general way, the suitability of soils for most kinds of

field crops. Crops that require special management are excluded. The soils are grouped

according to their limitations for field crops, the risk of damage if they are used for crops, and

the way they respond to management. The criteria used in grouping the soils do not include

major and generally expensive landforming that would change slope, depth, or other

characteristics of the soils, nor do they include possible but unlikely major reclamation projects.

Capability classification is not a substitute for interpretations designed to show suitability and

limitations of groups of soils for rangeland, forestland, or engineering purposes.

In the capability system, soils are generally grouped at three levels: capability class, subclass,

and unit.


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Capability Classes

Capability classes, the broadest groups, are designated by the numbers 1 through 8. Capability

classes are determined for both irrigated and nonirrigated land. The numbers indicate

progressively greater limitations and narrower choices for practical use. The classes are defined

as follows:

o Class 1 soils have slight limitations that restrict their use.

o Class 2 soils have moderate limitations that restrict the choice of plants or require

moderate conservation practices.

o Class 3 soils have severe limitations that restrict the choice of plants or require

special conservation practices, or both.

o Class 4 soils have very severe limitations that restrict the choice of plants or

require very careful management, or both.

o Class 5 soils are subject to little or no erosion but have other limitations,

impractical to remove, that restrict their use mainly to pasture, rangeland,

forestland, or wildlife habitat.

o Class 6 soils have severe limitations that make them generally unsuitable for

cultivation and that restrict their use mainly to pasture, rangeland, forestland, or

wildlife habitat.

o Class 7 soils have very severe limitations that make them unsuitable for

cultivation and that restrict their use mainly to pasture, rangeland, forestland, or

wildlife habitat.

o Class 8 soils and miscellaneous areas have limitations that preclude commercial

plant production and that restrict their use to recreational purposes, wildlife

habitat, watershed, or esthetic purposes.

Capability Subclasses

Capability subclasses are soil groups within one class. They are designated by adding a small

letter, e, w, s, or c, to the class numeral, for example, 2e. In class 1 there are no subclasses

because the soils of this class have few limitations. Class 5 contains only the subclasses indicated

by w, s, or c because the soils in class 5 are subject to little or no erosion. These soils have other

limitations that restrict their use to pasture, rangeland, forestland, wildlife habitat, or recreation.

The significance of each subclass letter is described as follows:

Subclass letter e shows that the main problem is the hazard of erosion unless close-

growing plant cover is maintained. The susceptibility to erosion and past erosion damage

are the major soil-related factors affecting the soils that are assigned this subclass letter.

Subclass letter w shows that water in or on the soil interferes with plant growth or

cultivation. In some soils the wetness can be partly corrected by artificial drainage.

Ponding, a high water table, and/or flooding affect the soils that are assigned this subclass

letter.

Subclass letter s shows that the soil has limitations within the root zone, such as

shallowness of the root zone, a high content of stones, a low available water capacity, low

fertility, and excessive salinity or sodicity. Overcoming these limitations is difficult.


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Subclass letter c shows that the chief hazard or limitation is climate that is very cold or

very dry. This subclass letter is used only in some parts of the United States.

Capability Units

Capability units are soil groups within a subclass. The soils in a capability unit are enough alike

to be suited to the same crops and pasture plants, to require similar management, and to have

similar productivity. Capability units are generally designated by adding an Arabic numeral to

the subclass symbol, for example, 2e-4 and 3e-6. The use of this category of the land capability

classification is a state option. This category of the system is not stored in the soil survey

database. For information about capability units, please contact the local NRCS State Soil

Scientist. For locations of the offices of the State Soil Scientists, click on the State Contacts link

in the upper portion of this window.

Reference:

"National Soil Survey Handbook," Part 622 (00-Exhibit 1), USDA, NRCS

Soil Erosion And Crop Production

Soil erosion has long been considered detrimental to soil productivity. It is the basis for soil loss

tolerance values. Considerable loss in productivity is likely to occur on most soils if they are

eroded for several centuries at present soil loss tolerance levels. The cost of annual erosion-

caused losses in productivity on cropland and pastureland in the United States approaches $27

billion. There is an additional cost of $17 billion for off-site environmental damage. Worldwide

costs for erosion-caused losses and off-site environmental damage are estimated at $400 billion

per year.

Soil erosion can significantly reduce crop yields, especially in years when weather conditions are

unfavorable. As soil erosion continues, the soil is further degraded. Poor soil quality is reflected

in decreases in the content of organic matter, aggregate stability, phosphorus levels, and the

potential for providing plant-available water. The net result is a decrease in soil productivity.

Soil erosion occurs through either water or wind action. Erosion by water includes sheet, rill,

ephemeral gully, classical gully, and streambank erosion. Each succeeding type is associated

with the progressive concentration of runoff water into channels as it moves downslope.

Sheet erosion, sometimes referred to as "interrill erosion," is the detachment of soil particles by

the impact of raindrops and the removal of thin layers of soil from the land surface by the action

of rainfall and runoff.


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Severe sheet and rill erosion on highly erodible soils in northwest Iowa

after heavy rains. The spring rains fell on the surface when the soils were

not protected against erosion. (NRCS Photo Gallery NRCSIA99126)

Rill erosion is the formation of small, generally parallel channels caused by runoff water. It

usually does not recur in the same place.

Rill erosion on highly erodible soils in Cass County, Iowa, after heavy

rains. The field was not protected against erosion. (NRCS Photo Gallery

NRCSIA99128)


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Ephemeral gully erosion is the formation of shallow, concentrated flow channels in areas where

rills converge. The channels are filled with soil by tillage and form again through subsequent

runoff in the same general location.

A central Iowa field where ephemeral gully erosion has washed young corn plants from the ground and has

removed topsoil and plant nutrients. (NRCS Photo

Gallery NRCSIA99140)

Classical gully erosion is the formation of permanent, well defined, incised, concentrated flow

channels in areas where rills converge. The gullies cannot be crossed by ordinary farm

equipment.


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Gully erosion caused by uncontrolled runoff in an area in Kansas. (NRCS Photo Gallery NRCSKS02008)

Streambank erosion is the removal of soil from streambanks by the direct action of streamflow.

It typically occurs during periods of high streamflow.

The greatest deterrent to soil erosion by water is a vegetative cover, living or dead, on the

surface. Supplemental erosion-control practices include contour farming, contour stripcropping,

and terraces or diversions.

Wind erosion is generally the most common form of soil erosion on the Great Plains. Other

major regions that are subject to damaging wind erosion are the Columbia River plains; some

parts of the Southwest and the Colorado Basin; areas of muck and sandy soils in the Great Lakes

region; and areas of sand on the Gulf, Pacific, and Atlantic seaboards. Wherever the soil surface

is loose and dry, vegetation is sparse or does not occur, and the wind is sufficiently strong, wind

erosion will occur unless erosion-control measures are applied.

Wind is an erosive agent. It detaches and transports soil particles, sorts the finer from the coarser

particles, and deposits the particles unevenly. Loss of the fertile topsoil in eroded areas reduces

the rooting depth and, in many places, reduces crop yields. Abrasion by airborne soil particles

damages plants and manmade structures. Drifting soil also causes extensive damage. Sand and

dust in the air can harm animals, humans, and equipment.


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A "black roller" moving across the plains, carrying soil blown from unprotected farmland

during the Dust Bowl. (NRCS Photo Gallery NRCSDC01019)

Wind erosion in an area of unprotected fields in north-central Iowa. (NRCS Photo Gallery

NRCSIA99158)


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Wind erosion in an unprotected cultivated field near Manhattan, Kansas. (NRCS Photo

Gallery NRCSKS02050)

PASTURELAND AND HAYLAND

Pastureland, often called improved pasture, or tame pasture, is defined as grazing land

permanently producing introduced or domesticated native forage species receiving varying

degrees of periodic cultural treatment to enhance forage quality and yields. It is primarily

harvested by grazing animals. Permanent pastureland in this context means the present operator

has no desire to change the land use or rotate crops in the field.

Pastureland may be machine harvested when and where the need arises, site conditions permit,

and the forage type is of sufficient stature, quantity, and quality to permit efficient machine

harvest preserving. If part of the annual growth is machine harvested, but regrowth is available

and used for grazing during the majority of the growing season, the primary land use is pasture.

If the machine harvesting schedule results in little or no appreciable regrowth for grazing, the

primary land use is then cropland or hayland.

Forage

Forage can be defined as the edible parts of plants, other than separated grain, that can provide

standing feed for grazing animals or be harvested for feeding. Crops that are sometimes

classified as grain crops are also forages, such as corn and sorghum grown for silage. Small

grains may also be stored in a silo or baled. Examples include alfalfa and bermudagrass.


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Forage Suitability Groups

Forage suitability groups (FSG‘s) are composed of one or more individual soil map units having

similar potentials and limitations for forage production. Soils within a forage production

suitability group are sufficiently uniform to:

Support the same adapted forage plants under the same management,

Require similar conservation treatment and management to produce the forages

selected in the quality and quantity desired, and

Have comparable potential productivity

Reference: "Range and Pasture Handbook," USDA-NRCS

Pastureland Condition

Pastureland condition is the status of the plant community and the soil in a pasture in relation to

its highest possible condition under ―ideal‖ management. The land user selects and establishes

the desired plant community unless a preexisting one is acceptable or can be developed from the

existing site. The desired plant community should be selected on the basis of the adaptability to

the existing soils and climate at the site. Livestock production goals and livestock forage

preferences should also be considered.

Where ―ideal‖ pastureland management is applied, grazing pressure and agronomic inputs are

managed in a manner that keeps the desired plant community reasonably stable at the species

proportions desired for the livestock type and class. Over time, permanent pastures tend to

naturalize. Other unintended plants invade and become part of the plant community. Some of

these are acceptable forage species; others are not. Shifts in plant species composition, if allowed

to proceed without intervention, usually result in a plant community that does not meet the goals

of the land user. This plant community often produces lower quality forage than the established

pasture plant community, sometimes yields less forage, and may not respond as well to

agronomic inputs.

Reference: "Pastureland Soil Quality Information Sheet 1," Soil Quality Institute, USDA-NRCS,

2003

RANGELAND

What is rangeland?

Rangeland is a kind of land on which the historic climax vegetation was predominantly grasses,

grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs. Rangeland includes land re-vegetated naturally or artificially

to provide a plant cover that is managed like native vegetation. Rangelands include natural

grasslands, savannas, most deserts, tundra, alpine plant communities, coastal and freshwater

marshes, and wet meadows.

Rangelands provide numerous products and have many values and uses. Rangelands are a

primary source of forage for domestic livestock and for wildlife. Rangelands provide water for


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urban, rural, domestic, industrial, and agricultural use. They provide wildlife habitat, areas for

natural recycling, purification of the air, and carbon sequestration. Rangelands have aesthetic

value, provide open space, and act as buffers for urban areas. They are a vital link in the

enhancement of rural social stability and economic vigor.

Reference: "Range and Pasture Handbook," Section 600.0202(a) page 2-2

What is range management?

Range management is the art and science founded on ecological principles and dealing with the

use of rangelands and range resources for a variety of purposes. These purposes include use as

watersheds, wildlife habitat, grazing by livestock, recreation, and aesthetics.

What is an ecological site?

An ecological site is a distinctive kind of land with specific physical characteristics that differs

from other kinds of land in its ability to produce a distinctive kind and amount of vegetation.

Landscapes are divided into ecological sites for the purposes of inventory, evaluation, and

management.

An ecological site is the product of all the environmental factors responsible for its development,

and it has a set of key characteristics that are included in the ecological site description.

Ecological sites have characteristic soils and hydrology that have developed over time

throughout the soil development process. The factors of soil development are parent material,

climate, living organisms, topography or landscape position, and time. These factors lead to soil

development or degradation through the processes of loss, addition, translocation, and

transformation.

Most ecological sites evolved with a characteristic kind of herbivory (kinds and numbers of

herbivores, seasons of use, and intensity of use). Herbivory directly influences the vegetation and

soil, both of which influence the hydrology.

Ecological sites evolve with a characteristic fire regime. Fire frequency and intensity contribute

to the characteristic plant community of the sites.

Reference: "Range and Pasture Handbook," Section 600.0300 (a) page 3.1-1

What is an ecological site description?

An ecological site description is prepared for each ecological site. These descriptions contain

information regarding the physiographic features, climate, soils, water features, and plant

communities associated with each ecological site. Plant community dynamics, annual production

estimates, growth curves, associated wildlife communities, and interpretations for use and

management of the site are also included in each site description.

Ecological site descriptions provide the foundation information to assist land managers in

making timely, well informed resource management decisions.

Example: "National Range and Pasture Handbook," Exhibit 3.1-3 page 3.1 ex-3


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What is a historic climax plant community?

The historic climax plant community for a site in North America is the plant community that

existed at the time of European immigration and settlement. It is the plant community that was

best adapted to natural disturbances, such as drought, fire, grazing of native fauna, and insects.

The historic climax plant community was in dynamic equilibrium with its environment.

The historic climax plant community of an ecological site is not a precise assemblage of species

for which the proportions are the same from place to place or from year to year. In all plant

communities, variability is apparent in productivity and occurrence of individual species.

Boundaries of the plant communities can be recognized by characteristic patterns of species

composition, association, and community structure.

Reference: "National Range and Pasture Handbook," Section 600.0301 pages 3.1-2

What is a similarity index?

Similarity index is the comparison of the present plant community on an ecological site to any

other plant communities that may exist on the site.

The purpose for determining similarity index is to provide a benchmark for future comparisons

evaluating the extent and direction of changes that have occurred in the plant community because

of a specific treatment or management.

Reference: "National Range and Pasture Handbook," Section 600.0402(b) page 4-17

How is similarity index calculated?

To determine the present plant community's similarity index to a specific plant community, the

specific plant community must be adequately described in the ecological site description. The

specific plant community must be described by species and the expected range of production by

weight by species or by groups of species as well as the expected normal total annual production.

This range of production becomes the allowable production to be counted when determining

similarity index.

The existing plant community must be inventoried by recording the actual weight, in pounds, of

each species present. The annual production by species of the existing plant community is then

compared to the production of individual species in the desired plant community. All allowable

production is then totaled. It is important to remember that if the similarity index is calculated

when plants are still growing, then the plant productions should be reconstructed to reflect the

total production for the year.

The relative similarity index to the desired plant community is calculated by dividing this total

weight of allowable production by the total annual production in the desired plant community.

This evaluation expresses the percentage of the desired plant community present on the site. For

example, if the current inventory reflects only 65% of the allowable plants compared to the

desired plant community, then the current plant community has a 65% similarity index to the

desired plant community.


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Reference: "National Range and Pasture Handbook," Section 600.0402(b)(2) page 4-17

What is trend?

Trend is a rating of the direction of plant community changes that may be occurring on a site.

The plant community and the associated components of the ecosystem may be either moving

toward or away from the historic climax plant community or some other desired plant

community. At times, it can be difficult to determine the direction of change. Usually trend is

determined by two evaluations over time.

Trend provides information necessary for the operational level of management to ensure that the

direction of change meets the objectives of the manager. The present plant community is a result

of a sustained trend over a period of time.

Trend is an important and required part of a rangeland resource inventory. It is significant when

planning the use, management, and treatment needed to affect desired change in the rangeland

resource.

Reference: "National Range and Pasture Handbook," Section 600.0402(a) page 4-14

How is range trend determined?

The plant community and the associated components of the ecosystem may be either moving

toward or away from the historic climax plant community or some other desired plant

community (rangeland trend or planned trend). The kind of trend (rangeland trend or planned

trend) being evaluated must be determined.

Rangeland trend is defined as the direction of change in an existing plant community relative to

the historic climax plant community. It is described as:

Toward: Moving towards the historic climax plant community.

Not apparent: No change detectable.

Away from: Moving away from the historic climax plant community.

Planned trend is defined as the change in plant composition within an ecological site from one

plant community type to the desired plant community. It is described as:

Positive: Moving towards the desired plant community.

Not apparent: No change detectable.

Negative: Moving away from the desired plant community.

Most ecological sites evolved with a characteristic kind of herbivory (kinds and numbers of

herbivores, seasons of use, and intensity of use). Herbivory directly influences the vegetation and

soil, both of which influence the hydrology.

Trend is determined by evaluating changes in plant composition, abundance of seedlings and

young plants, plant residue, plant vigor, and condition of the soil surface.

Reference: "National Range and Pasture Handbook," Section 600.0402(a) page 4-14


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What is rangeland health?

The rangeland health assessment is an attempt to look at how the ecological processes on an

ecological site are functioning. Ecological processes include the water cycle (the capture,

storage, and redistribution of precipitation), energy flow (conversion of sunlight to plant and

animal matter), and nutrient cycle (the cycle of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus,

through the physical and biotic components of the environment).

Qualitative assessments of rangeland health provide land managers with information that can be

used to identify areas that are potentially at risk of degradation and provide early warnings of

resource problems on upland rangelands.

This procedure has been developed for use by experienced, knowledgeable land managers. It is

not intended that this assessment procedure be used by individuals who do not have experience

or knowledge of the rangeland ecological sites they are evaluating. This approach requires a

good understanding of ecological processes, vegetation, and soils for each of the ecological sites

to which it is applied.

Reference: "National Range and Pasture Handbook," Section 600.0402(c) pages 4-23

How is rangeland health evaluated?

Ecological processes functioning within a normal range of variation support specific plant and

animal communities. Direct measures of site integrity and status of ecological processes are

difficult or expensive to measure because of the complexity of the processes and their

interrelationships. Therefore, biological and physical attributes are often used as indicators of the

functional status of ecological processes and site integrity.

Three closely interrelated attributes are evaluated:

Soil/site stability: The capacity of the site to limit redistribution and loss of soil resources

(including nutrients and organic matter) by wind and water.

Hydrologic function: The capacity of the site to capture, store, and safely release water

from rainfall, run-on, and snowmelt (where relevant) to resist a reduction in this

capacity and to recover this capacity following degradation.

Integrity of the biotic community: Capacity of a site to support characteristic functional

and structural communities in the context of normal variability, to resist loss of this

function and structure because of a disturbance, and to recover following such

disturbance.

Reference: "National Range and Pasture Handbook," Section 600.0402(c)(2) pages 4-24

URBAN USES

Soils used for urban purposes are in areas of developed and developing land. These uses are

described in this section.


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Soils information helps people make many different decisions

A wide range of decisions can be based, directly or indirectly, on soils information. Examples

include decisions about where to put a garden, park, or road. People in urban areas who use soils

information include:

Homeowners with small sites

County planners, local planning boards, builders, or developers with large sites

Students exploring careers in soils or educators planning outdoor classrooms

Scientists or researchers

Renters or property managers interested in ongoing maintenance or expanded use of

existing soils

Urban areas include developed and developing land

The management of soils on developed and developing land is complex. Information is needed

from many agencies to be applied across a variety of land uses. Contact information for other

agencies on flood maps (FEMA), environmental education (EPA), and other issues is listed

under the heading "References and resources" at the end of this introduction. Most of the

information presented for other land uses in Web Soil Survey also can be adapted and used to

learn more about urban areas of developed and developing land. Therefore, it may be helpful for

you to understand a few basic definitions showing the relationship of developed and developing

land to other land uses, such as cropland, forestland, and rangeland. Horticulture and recreation

are special focus areas that can occur in areas of any land use.

The following definitions, with the exception of that for developing land, are from the National

Resources Inventory program (NRI-97) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural

Resources Conservation Service.

Developed land

A combination of land cover/use categories including urban and built-up areas and rural

transportation land.

Rural transportation land

A land cover/use category consisting of all highways, roads, railroads, and associated rights-of-

way outside urban and built-up areas; including private roads to farmsteads or ranch

headquarters, logging roads, and other private roads, except field lanes.

Urban and built-up areas

A land cover/use category consisting of residential, industrial, commercial, and institutional land;

construction sites; public administrative sites; railroad yards; cemeteries; airports; golf courses;


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sanitary landfills; sewage treatment plants; water control structures and spillways; other land

used for such purposes; small parks within urban and built-up areas; and highways, railroads, and

other transportation facilities if they are surrounded by urban areas.

Developing land

As defined for Web Soil Survey, developing land is a broad category that includes transitional

areas of cropland, forestland, or rangeland that may be developed in the near future.

A brief guide to soils in urban areas

Urban soils form in different types of human-deposited material, including a) loamy fill over

natural sand, b) dredged spoil, c) coal ash, and d) construction debris. Nonsoil areas are given

such names as Rock outcrop, Urban land, Dumps, Water, and Rubble land. Urban land is defined

as areas with a specific percentage of impervious cover, such as pavement, driveways, and

buildings. Collectively, nonsoil areas are classified as miscellaneous areas.

Some general information about map unit components and the kinds of map units (for example,

"complex") in a soil survey is provided under the heading "Components and kinds of map units".

Understanding the suitability and limitations ratings

Generally, there are no data recorded for map units or components called "urban

land".

If the urban land occurs as part of a complex, it is possible to view the soil

information for the other components in the complex by using the advanced options

for aggregation methods.

When urban land makes up the largest percentage of the map unit, using the

"dominant condition" aggregation method may obscure the information for nearby

developing land and undisturbed soils. Adjusting the aggregation method to "least

limiting" and leaving the component percent box unchecked (thereby opening up all

components for ratings) can help to overcome this problem.

Udorthents are an example of a more general classification category of soils. The data

available for these soils commonly are limited or are displayed in the form of wide

ranges. Ratings for specific uses generally are not available. Disturbed land is

commonly mapped as Udorthents.

Developing land generally was mapped as the undisturbed soil map unit or

component. Because data or ratings for the map units of urban land and more general

classifications typically are not available, it may be useful to look at the other soils in

an urban land complex or at the soils in adjacent map units for clues to soil suitability

or soil properties.


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As soil surveys are updated, more developed land may be captured as map units and

the soil properties in some larger areas may be consistent enough to be rated for

suitability.

Urban land map units

Urban land consists of paved areas or areas of highly disturbed land. This land may

still have some of the characteristics of the soil components that existed in the area

before it was disturbed. The soil survey generally describes the top 5 feet of the soil.

In some rapidly developing areas, the soil has been disturbed since the soil survey

mapping was completed. Differences between the earlier mapping and the current

conditions may be noticeable at the surface or when sequences of layers repeat below

the surface. Typically, these areas are mapped as urban land or as a complex of urban

land with an undisturbed soil.

Soil properties in urban areas can vary considerably over distances too small to be

captured on soil survey maps. Therefore, onsite investigations are needed before

specific practices are designed.

The following photos illustrate the variety of urban soils.

Lack of distinct horizons in a filled area


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Loamy fill over natural sand (note the abrupt color change)

Fill

material

over

wet soil


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The map units delineated on the detailed soil maps in a soil survey represent the soils or

miscellaneous areas in the survey area.

Components and kinds of map units

A map unit delineation on a soil map represents an area dominated by one or more major kinds

of soil or miscellaneous areas. A map unit is identified and named according to the taxonomic

classification of the dominant soils. Within a taxonomic class there are precisely defined limits

for the properties of the soils. On the landscape, however, the soils are natural phenomena, and

they have the characteristic variability of all natural phenomena. Thus, the range of some

observed properties may extend beyond the limits defined for a taxonomic class. Areas of soils

of a single taxonomic class rarely, if ever, can be mapped without including areas of other

taxonomic classes. Consequently, every map unit is made up of the soils or miscellaneous areas

for which it is named and some minor components that belong to taxonomic classes other than

those of the major soils.

Minor components

Most minor soils have properties similar to those of the dominant soil or soils in the map unit,

and thus they do not affect use and management. These are called noncontrasting, or similar,

components. Other minor components, however, have properties and behavioral characteristics

divergent enough to affect use or to require different management. These are called contrasting,

or dissimilar, components. They generally are in small areas and could not be mapped separately

because of the scale used. Some small areas of strongly contrasting soils or miscellaneous areas

are identified by a special symbol on the maps.

The presence of minor components in a map unit in no way diminishes the usefulness or

accuracy of the data. The objective of mapping is not to delineate pure taxonomic classes but

rather to separate the landscape into landforms or landform segments that have similar use and

management requirements. The delineation of such segments on the map provides sufficient

information for the development of resource plans. If intensive use of small areas is planned,

however, onsite investigation is needed to define and locate the soils and miscellaneous areas.

Kinds of map units

Soils that have profiles that are almost alike make up a "soil series". Except for differences in

texture of the surface layer, all the soils of a series have major horizons that are similar in

composition, thickness, and arrangement.

Soils of one series can differ in texture of the surface layer, slope, stoniness, salinity, degree of

erosion, and other characteristics that affect their use. On the basis of such differences, a soil

series is divided into "soil phases." Most of the areas shown on detailed soil maps are phases of

soil series. The name of a soil phase commonly indicates a feature that affects use or

management. For example, Alpha silt loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes, is a phase of the Alpha series.

Some map units are made up of two or more major soils or miscellaneous areas. These map units

are complexes, associations, or undifferentiated groups.


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A "complex" consists of two or more soils or miscellaneous areas in such an intricate pattern or

in such small areas that they cannot be shown separately on the maps. The pattern and proportion

of the soils or miscellaneous areas are somewhat similar in all areas. Alpha-Beta complex, 0 to 6

percent slopes, is an example.

An "association" is made up of two or more geographically associated soils or miscellaneous

areas that are shown as one unit on the maps. Because of present or anticipated uses of the map

units in the survey area, it was not considered practical or necessary to map the soils or

miscellaneous areas separately. The pattern and relative proportion of the soils or miscellaneous

areas are somewhat similar. Alpha-Beta association, 0 to 2 percent slopes, is an example.

An "undifferentiated group" is made up of two or more soils or miscellaneous areas that could be

mapped individually but are mapped as one unit because similar interpretations can be made for

use and management. The pattern and proportion of the soils or miscellaneous areas in a mapped

area are not uniform. An area can be made up of only one of the major soils or miscellaneous

areas, or it can be made up of all of them. Alpha and Beta soils, 0 to 2 percent slopes, is an

example.

Some surveys include "miscellaneous areas." Such areas have little or no soil material and

support little or no vegetation. Rock outcrop is an example.

Additional information about map units is available elsewhere in Web Soil Survey (see the "Soil

Reports" tab). Some reports display properties of the soils, and others list limitations,

capabilities, and potentials for many uses. Many of the terms used in describing map units and

components of map units are defined in the narrative descriptions that accompany these reports.


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UNIT 5

NDSU PRODUCTION FORMULA AND INUNDATED LAND7

County Average Agricultural Value

Each year the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State

University (NDSU) has the responsibility to compute the average agricultural value per acre of

cropland, non-cropland and inundated agricultural land for each county. In addition, NDSU

computes an average value per acre of all agricultural lands on a county wide and statewide

basis. These values are provided to the State Tax Commissioner by December 1 of each year.

The model for this process is contained in North Dakota Century Code § 57-02-27.2.

The model uses the county‘s annual crop production and annual regional market prices by crop

reporting districts for the major crops and summerfallow. The major crops include: spring wheat

(fallow, continuous and irrigated), durum (fallow, continuous and irrigated), barley (fallow,

continuous and irrigated), oats, rye, sunflower (oil and non-oil), flaxseed, corn grain (dryland and

irrigated), corn silage (dryland and irrigated), alfalfa hay, other hay, soybeans, winter wheat, dry

edible beans, sugarbeets, potatoes (dryland and irrigated), and canola. Crop land data includes

acres planted and harvested.

Non-cropland production data includes range land and pastureland acreage estimates and gross

income potential of the land based upon animal unit carrying capacity. Most of the data in the

model is obtained from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Natural

Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

The annual gross return for cropland in each county is determined by using 20 percent of the

county‘s annual gross income produced by sugar beets and potatoes, plus 30 percent of the

county‘s annual gross income from the other crops, plus a share of government payments.

Annual gross return from irrigated cropland is 50 percent of the dryland rate to recognize

additional expense associated with irrigation. The average annual gross return is determined for

each county by considering the annual gross returns for the most recent ten years for which data

is available preceding the current year, eliminating the returns from the highest and lowest years,

and averaging the remaining eight years. The average annual gross return is adjusted by a cost of

production index, which accounts for the increasing proportion of the total cost of production

represented by variable costs. The data source for this index is Items Used For Production

from the Prices Paid Index published by the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The

adjusted average annual gross return per acre is capitalized into an agricultural value per acre for

each county by dividing the adjusted average annual gross return by an appropriate capitalization

rate.

The capitalization rate is calculated by taking the twelve most recent years‘ gross federal land

bank (AgriBank, FCB) mortgage rate of interest for North Dakota, eliminating the highest and

lowest years, and averaging the remaining ten years.

7 Unit 7 contains language from the Office of North Dakota State Tax Commissioner’s Property Tax Guideline Valuation Concepts-Agricultural Property.


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A non-cropland value is determined for each county in the same manner as cropland value,

except that the annual gross return is 25 percent of the gross annual income potential from

livestock. The agricultural value of inundated land is 10 percent of the average agricultural value

of non-cropland for each county. ―Inundated agricultural land‖ means:

1. Property classified as agricultural property containing a minimum of ten

contiguous acres if the value of the inundated land exceeds ten percent of the

average agricultural value of non-cropland for the county;

2. which is inundated to an extent making it unsuitable for growing crops or grazing

farm animals for two consecutive growing seasons or more;

3. and which produced revenue from any source in the most recent prior year which

is less than the county average revenue per acre for non-cropland calculated by

the agricultural economics department of the North Dakota state university.

Application for classification as inundated agricultural land must be made in writing to the

township assessor or county director of tax equalization by March 31 of each year, and must be

approved by the board of county commissioners before all or part of a parcel of land may be

classified as inundated agricultural land. Determinations concerning classification as inundated

agricultural land may be appealed through the informal equalization process and formal

abatement process. An average value per acre for all agricultural land for each county is

determined from the cropland, non-cropland and inundated agricultural land values by weighting

the average of the three categories by the acreage in each category.

Average Agricultural Value for Each County

Each year before January 1, the Tax Commissioner provides to each of the county directors of

tax equalization the county average agricultural values as computed by NDSU.

Average Agricultural Value for Each Assessment District

The county director of tax equalization determines an estimate of the average agricultural value

per acre for each township or assessment district. The total agricultural value of all the

assessment districts, divided by the total number of taxable agricultural acres, should be equal to

the average agricultural value per acre for the county as provided by the tax commissioner. The

county director of tax equalization provides these values to the local assessors before February 1

each year. The county director of tax equalization shall use soil type and soil classification data

from detailed and general soil surveys to estimate the average agricultural value for each

assessment district relative to the county average agricultural value.

Before February 1 of each year, the county director of tax equalization shall provide to all

assessors of agricultural property in the county a schedule of modifiers, approved by the state

supervisor of assessments that must be used to adjust agricultural property assessments within

the county.


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Assessor Estimates Value of Each Parcel of Agricultural Land

The local assessor estimates the relative agricultural value for each quarter section or smaller

parcel of agricultural land in the assessment district. The total agricultural value of the district

divided by the total number of taxable agricultural acres should be equal to the average value of

agricultural land as estimated by the county director of tax equalization for that district.

Detailed soil surveys provide an accurate method of estimating the relative agricultural value for

each parcel. First, the assessor shall use soil type and soil classification from the detailed or

general soil surveys. Second, the assessor shall use the schedule of modifiers approved by the

state supervisor of assessments to adjust for conditions not documented in the soil surveys.

Third, the assessor shall consider actual use of the property for cropland or non-cropland

purposes by the owner of the parcel.

Assessor’s or Township Board’s Estimate of Average Value

If local assessor or township board of equalization develops an average value of agricultural land

for the assessment district that is substantially different from the estimate provided by the county

director of tax equalization, written evidence supporting a change in valuation must be presented

to the county director of tax equalization. If the county director of tax equalization disagrees with

the values as submitted by the township board of equalization, the matter is resolved by the

county board of equalization.

Implementation of Soil Type and Soil Classification Data Required

For any county that has not fully implemented use of soil type and soil classification data from

detailed or general soil surveys by February 1 of any taxable year after 2011, the Tax

Commissioner shall direct the State Treasurer to withhold 5 percent of that county‘s allocation

each quarter from the state aid distribution fund under N.D.C.C. § 57-39.2-26.1 beginning with

the first quarter of 2013, and continuing until the Tax Commissioner certifies to the State

Treasurer that the county has fully implemented use of soil type or soil classification data. The

amount withheld from the allocation must be withheld entirely from the portion of the allocation

which may be retained by the county and may not reduce allocations to any political subdivisions

within the county. The amount withheld from the allocation must be deposited into the

agricultural land valuation fund. All monies deposited in the agricultural land valuation fund

must be allocated to the county from which the withholding was made upon certification from

the Tax Commissioner of the implementation of subsection 7 of section 57-02-27.2 by that

county.

Land Used for Extraction of Oil, Natural Gas, or Subsurface Minerals

Land that was assessed as agricultural property at the time the land was put to use for extraction

of oil, natural gas, or subsurface minerals as defined in N.D.C.C. § 38-12-01 must continue to be

assessed as agricultural property if the remainder of the surface owner‘s parcel of property on

which the subsurface mineral activity is occurring continues to qualify for assessment as

agricultural property under subsection 1 of N.D.C.C. § 57-02-01.


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UNIT 6

METHOD OF VALUATION & ASSIGNING VALUE TO SOIL TYPES BASED ON

PRODUCTIVITY8

Each county must complete several generalized steps to change their valuation method in light of

legislative changes.

1) Determine the Extent of Soils for Each Agricultural Parcel

First, each county must determine the acreage of each soil type or soil map unit within

each property tax parcel classified as agricultural.

Acreage of soil types can be determined using paper soil maps, transparent overlays of

parcel boundaries, and acre tabulation grids or planimeters to determine acres. These

methods may be labor intensive and time consuming.

A preferred method is creating a digital parcel layer in a Geographic Information System

(GIS-a computerized mapping software system) environment and then overlaying the

parcel layer with the digital soil survey available from the USDA-Natural Resources

Conservation Service (NRCS). Using digital data and a GIS is the recommended method

for counties just beginning the process of utilizing the soil survey in land assessment.

The GIS approach has several benefits:

a) The most current soil maps from NRCS are readily available in a

digital format;

b) A digital county parcel map may be used for other endeavors within

the county and may offset the initial cost of development; and

c) Digital data may be updated regularly to reflect ownership splits and

merges and relinked with soil maps for accurate soil acre

determination.

Counties that have already determined their soils acres manually are not required to

create a digital parcel map for their county however it is recommended that each county

use the most up to date soils information available from NRCS as well as keep parcel

information maintained as accurately as possible.

2) Assigning Value to Soil Types

After determining the extent of each soil type for every agricultural parcel of land,

counties must assign a value to each soil type based on productivity. Soil productivity

8 Unit 6 contains language from the Office of North Dakota State Tax Commissioner’s Guide to Assessing Agricultural Land in North Dakota-2008 Edition pages 10-15.


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can be determined by using a Productivity Index (PI) or a measure of range production,

either Pounds of Forage or Animal Unit Months (AUM). Soils Committees may assist

the county tax director in determining soil productivity. Assigning value to soil types is

discussed later in this handbook.

3) Apply Approved Modifiers

Counties must determine if appropriate local modifiers are needed in the assessment

process. If modifiers are used, counties must decide on a maximum rate each modifier

will affect the value of land as determined from soil productivity.

4) Consider Land Use

Land use must be considered when determining the true and full value of land.

Assigning Value to Soil Types Based on Productivity

The fundamental basis for agricultural property valuation in North Dakota is productivity.

Productivity Indices (PI) can be used to estimate the long-term production capacity of a soil used

for agricultural crops under a defined level of management. PI ratings are a relative ranking of

soils in an area based on soil and landscape properties. Soils with favorable properties (e.g., high

water holding capacity, run-on landscape positions, etc.) receive higher rankings than soils with

unfavorable properties. The ranking ranges from 0 to 100, with the best soils in an area having a

PI of 100. Some counties may determine a maximum PI of less than 100 (such as 98 or 95) to

begin their ranking system and adjust the range to meet the needs of that county over time.

Initial PIs can be obtained from the NRCS Web Soil Survey. If a Soils Committee is established,

these values are reviewed by the committee. NRCS PIs are based on the long-term production of

spring wheat at a high level of management. Under certain conditions (for example, deep-rooted

crops grown on high water table sands), these values may not be applicable to specific counties

and a composite PI, representing several commonly grown crops, may be determined locally (see

example 10 under ―Multiple Crop Productivity Index Averaging‖).

PIs derived from NRCS data bases represent the typical condition of the soil. For example, if the

soil under consideration is commonly drained for agricultural production, the PI is listed for a

drained phase. Because both drained and un-drained conditions may exist in a county, local

modifiers are used to adjust values for un-drained soils. This situation may also apply to soils

affected by salinity, sodicity (claypan), stones, channels, etc.

Counties should review their soil lists with NRCS representatives to determine which soils in

their jurisdiction are susceptible to Wet Phase modification. Wet Phase modification may be

applied to soils susceptible to a more or less permanent state of ponding, flooding, or surface

saturation. Use of Wet Phase modification on these soils might be appropriate if the current PI

does not adequately account for reduced productivity due to the wetness. Counties using Wet


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Phase modification may need to establish a new listing for those soils (for example Borup loam

under wet conditions may be given a separate listing as ‗Borup loam very wet‘). A new PI for the

wet type will also need to be determined. Examples of soils susceptible to saturation include

Arveson, Rosewood, and Borup series.

Once a PI has been reviewed and accepted for each soil type (soil map unit), the PIs are sorted

for each soil type from highest to lowest. Soils may be grouped into Productivity Classes, based

on groups of soils with similar PIs. Use of Productivity Classes reduces the amount of

computations needed and helps to clear up any confusion related to lengthy soil lists.

Please note many older county soil survey reports contain outdated yield information. Current PI

information is available at websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/.

Soils with the highest PI receive the highest value per acre and values decrease with lower PI as

shown on the following sample condensed list (Valuation Schedule):

In the above example, the maximum value per acre is reduced to correspond to the soil‘s PI. In

this case, the average value for the highest rated soil was determined using a formula provided

by North Dakota State University (NDSU). The value of soils with lower PIs was determined by

multiplying the highest PI soil price by the soil PI (divided by 100). For example, to determine

the value per acre of Soil Type 7, multiply $343.00 by .94 to calculate a value of $322.00/acre.

Note also, soil type 111 (Pits, gravel) does not have bushels/acre yield given, yet a productivity

index was set at 10. In this case, the PI is not used to determine value. The county determined a


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minimum value of $75.00 per acre for the land. This county assumes all land has a value and a

potential to earn income.

The next series of examples show the progression of data for one North Dakota county (County

‗B‘) beginning with the NDSU County Average Value Calculations, followed by the Valuation

Schedule for the same county, and a Rural Landowner Data Sheet derived from that information.

Example 7: County ‘B’ NDSU County Average Value Calculations

Working from the data distributed by NDSU in the previous example, County B developed their

Valuation Schedule. County B‘s schedule sorts the soils by PI and allows for the value

calculations per soil, similar to the Valuation Schedule model demonstrating soil ranking in

Example 6. County B has established a ‗breakpoint‘ in their soils list, separating cropland from

non-cropland soils. For further discussion on ―breakpoint establishment,‖ see page 22.


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Example 8: County ‘B’ Valuation Schedule – With breakpoint between Cropland and Non-cropland Soils (See Breakpoint Establishment under Considering Land Use)


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The next example shows a Rural Landowner Data Sheet, with a full assessment of the owner‘s

land based on soils, derived from the data in the previous two examples from County B:

Example 9: County ‘B’ Rural Land Owner Datasheet (No Modifiers Applied)


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UNIT 7

MODIFIERS9

N.D.C.C. Section 57-02-27.2 provides that local assessors must apply the consideration of

modifiers to the assessment determination, but those modifiers must first be approved by the

state supervisor of assessments. Specifically, N.D.C.C. Section 57-02-27.2 (8)(b) provides:

The schedule of modifiers that must be used to adjust agricultural property assessments

within the county as approved by the state supervisor of assessments.

With regard to approval by the state supervisor of assessments, N.D.C.C. Section 57-02-27.2(9)

further provides:

Before February first of each year, the county director of tax equalization in each county

shall provide to all assessors of agricultural property within the county a schedule of modifiers

that must be used to adjust agricultural property assessments within the county and directions

regarding how those modifiers must be applied by assessors. Before the schedule of modifiers is

provided to assessors within the county, the county director of tax equalization shall obtain the

approval of the state supervisor of assessments for use of the schedule within the county.

Modifiers are used to show and document a reduction in soil values caused by a limitation on the

functional utility of a soil type. Modifiers reduce the upper limit of a soil type‘s Productivity

Index.

Modifiers must be approved by the county board of commissioners and the state supervisor of

assessment prior to use. Counties must send their schedule of modifiers, definition of modifiers,

and descriptions of how they are used to:

State Supervisor of Assessments

North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner

600 East Boulevard Ave

Bismarck, ND 58505-0899

It is important to use modifiers consistently and equitably throughout the county. Modifiers may

be determined based on field notes, field visits, aerial photographs, and applicable township and

Soils Committee observations.

When determining which modifiers will be applied throughout the county, it is also important to

remember that the productivity index of the soils already accounts for many factors that may

affect productivity. In many cases, factors such as salinity, sodicity, presence of rocks, sand, and

9 Unit 7 contains language from the Office of North Dakota State Tax Commissioner’s Guide to Assessing Agricultural Land in North Dakota-2008 Edition pages 17-19.


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gravel, erosion rates, and drainage problems are reflected in the soil PI. In some cases, this

eliminates the need to inventory each agricultural parcel for these factors during the assessment

process. However, there may be cases where local modifiers are needed to supplement the soil

survey. For example:

NRCS Productivity Indices usually reflect the dominant drainage condition in the

county. Modifiers may be needed to reflect localized conditions.

Salinity is a temporal property that can change with climate and management.

NRCS soil survey maps only delineate areas of moderate or severe salinity that

are more or less permanent. Modifiers may be needed to reflect changes in saline

levels.

NRCS usually mapped ―channeled‖ phases along small meandering streams. The

soils in these areas are commonly of high quality but accessibility or conformity

may be poor. A local modifier may be needed for these areas.

NRCS soil maps were usually developed at a scale of 1:20,000 or 3.2 inches to a

mile. Map units may have small inclusions of contrasting soils that may affect

productivity. In some cases, modifiers may be needed to manage these areas.

However, it is important to establish size limitations to maintain consistency in

the use of such modifiers.

Most parcels of land may contain several small areas containing modifications. Counties may

consider setting a minimum number of continuous acres affected by each modifier per parcel

during the valuation process.

POTENTIAL MODIFIERS

The following is a list of potential modifiers typical to the estate of North Dakota that may be

considered when valuing agricultural property:

Inaccessibility: (obstacles; obstructions) Agricultural land with access restricted by

rivers, canals, ravines, roads, towers, buttes, rock piles, etc.

Irregular Fields: Small areas of land that may have good quality soil yet are difficult to

cultivate due to irregular shape.

Nonconformity: Small areas of productive soils surrounded by less productive soils,

making cultivation less economical. The land is not fulfilling its highest and best use due

to the distribution or intermingling of soil characteristics.

Poor Drainage: Low-lying areas on the landscape susceptible to flooding, ponding, or

drowning out crops during heavy rains, resulting in lower productivity.


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Rocks: Used as a modifier where production, operating expenses, and crop selection are

affected due to the presence of substantial rock outcropping or surface stones. This

modifier is not meant for the presence of incidental rocks that may be accounted for in

the soil productivity index.

Saline Deposits (salinity): This modifier includes areas where soluble salts precipitate

on the soil surface or in the soil‘s rooting zone, resulting in reduced vegetative production

or the elimination of crops and grasses on agricultural lands. In some cases, laboratory

analysis is needed to confirm salinity.

Stream Overflow: Low-lying areas of land which are susceptible to overland flooding

from a nearby stream or river after a crop has been planted. This modifier is not to be

used in areas that are prone to flooding during the typical spring runoff before the crop is

planted.

Wind Erosion: Areas of sandy soils or clay soils that are prone to wind erosion,

resulting in a loss of topsoil, which can affect the productivity of the soils.

When deciding which modifiers will be considered throughout the county, it is important to

establish criteria for using the modifier and determine a set percentage or valuation procedure by

which each modifier will reduce the valuation of the land. This will ensure county-wide

consistency and equity in the assessment process.

The following example illustrates how County B has assigned fixed percentages or valuation

rules to its modifiers:


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The following is an example of a County B landowner data sheet in which modifiers were

applied:


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UNIT 8

ACTUAL USE IN AGRICULTURAL LAND ASSESSMENT10

After a county has determined the agricultural value based on soil types and applied the

approved modifiers, the final consideration a local assessor shall apply is the actual use of the

land in comparison to the property‘s potential. For agricultural land assessment purposes,

common land uses are cropland and non-cropland.

For this discussion, the following definitions apply:

Cropland: Land used for the production of adapted crops for harvest. Crops included

alfalfa hay, sudan grass, conservation reserve program, etc.

Non-cropland: Includes permanent pastureland and rangeland:

Permanent Pastureland: Land managed primarily for the production of

introduced forage plants for livestock grazing. Pastureland cover may consist of a

single species in a pure stand, a grass mixture, or a grass-legume mixture.

Management usually consists of cultural treatments: fertilization, weed control,

reseeding or renovation, and controlled grazing such as fencing. Land composed

of introduced or domesticated native forage species used primarily for the

production of domestic livestock, which receives periodic renovation and/or

cultural treatments, such as tillage, fertilization, mowing, and weed control.

(Cropland grazed in between crops is NOT permanent pastureland. These areas

are to be viewed as cropland and valued accordingly.)

Rangeland: Land on which the ecological climax or potential plant cover is

composed principally of native grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs suitable

for grazing and browsing, and introduced forage species managed like rangeland.

Rangeland is considered land that has never been broken and can be used for

grazing.

Considering actual use of the land requires an inventory of land use or management practices

currently employed within each taxable parcel. There may be instances where a landowner is

cultivating crops on low-productivity soils better for non-cropland activities. On the other hand,

a landowner may not be cultivating a soil with a high PI, choosing instead to use the land for

non-cropland activities.

10 Unit 8 contains language from the Office of State Tax Commissioner’s Guide to Assessing Agricultural Land in North Dakota-2008 Edition pages 20-23.


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It is important to remember that land use for a few parcels in each county may change from year

to year. For example, a producer may choose to clear woodlands and cultivate the field, or a

producer might convert rangeland into cropland. Counties must review the land use of each

parcel periodically and update data records to reflect any changes.

Land use information may be obtained from aerial photographs with land cover delineated from

sources such as Farm Services Agency or AgriData web sites (depending upon availability). To

obtain actual land use information, landowners may also be required to report annual activities

directly to the county, or local assessors may have to travel to various parcels of land to evaluate

the annual management practices. The county may adopt an application program by which the

property owners request a physical inspection of the land to change the classification from

cropland to non-cropland or vice versa.

Finally, a lack of use does not necessarily change the actual use classification. An example of

this is Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. The land at one time must have supported a

mechanically harvested crop to qualify for CRP. If the soils present are tillable in character, no

adjustment for actual use will be made, the land remains assessed as cropland11

.

Cropland and Non-cropland Breakpoint Establishment

Another option when instituting a distinction between land use values is to establish a dividing

line between cropland soils and non-cropland soils. IF crop PIs are used as a proxy for

estimating range production, it may be necessary to reclassify soils into either cropland or non-

cropland based on the assumption of highest and best use.

After the soils are arranged from high to low based on PI or estimates of range production, a

―breakpoint‖ between cropland soils and non-cropland soil may be determined. The breakpoint

is the point on the soil list where the highest and best use changes from cropland to rangeland or

permanent pasture (―Highest and best use is that use which will generate the highest net return to

the property over a reasonable period of time.‖-Property Assessment Valuation, International

Association of Assessing Officers, 1996. In other words, the highest and best use of an

agricultural property is its potential as cultivated cropland versus rangeland or permanent

pasture.).

The county tax director determines the breakpoint by considering county average values,

production factors, and soil properties. The primary example of this type of valuation is given in

Example 8 of this manual.

11 Another example of when a government program may have an effect on the valuation is in a Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) agreement. These agreements contain specific language as to land owners rights, description of the property, and the time frame that the agreement is in effect. For an example of a WRP agreement please see Appendix 1 at the back of this manual. Language contained in Part III of the agreement specifically outlines prohibition of certain activity, leading to a determination of non-cropland.


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Example 13 illustrates this type of breakpoint valuation. The county in this example took

another step in separating yield data into bushels per acre for the cropland soils (C) and pounds

of forage per acre (LBS/AC) for the non-cropland (NC) soils:

As indicated above, non-cropland is designed specifically for the purpose of sustaining livestock.

They are also referred to as grassland, rangeland, and pastureland. Soils ―production‖ on these

lands refers to the amount of livestock the soil and landscape can sustain, rather than the crops it

may grow.

Because the PI rating system is based on crop production, counties with a higher interest in

grazing land productivity may opt to further expand upon the soils capability as it relates to

livestock production. The correct measure of grazing land soil productivity is based on a

determination of the land‘s carrying capacity, stocking rate, or Animal Unit Months (AUM).

Currently, no standard for determining these measures of range productivity is readily available.

Each rangeland sites‘ past history must be evaluated to determine future production potential.

For this reason, NRCS range specialists must visit the land when determining carrying capacity

or designing a range management program. Range specialists estimate AUMs when developing

a range management program, but the data is for a specific piece of land and as such, is not

readily available on a regional basis.


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However, as a part of NRCS‘ soil survey, every map unit component is assigned an ecological

site. Each ecological site has several transition phases and vegetative species are identified for

each phase. Total production is often determined, but because of differences in plant

palatability, does not correlate exactly with carrying capacity (e.g., a wetland site produces much

vegetation but little is used by the grazing animal). Having the county Soils Committee assign a

productivity value to each ecological site may be a viable option for counties choosing to expand

upon their non-crop valuation method. If this method is pursued, a composite range productivity

estimate of a soil map unit would have to be determined from the individual ecological sites of

the components. Because the large amount of work involved in developing estimates of range

production, the Production Index (PI) as determined by NRCS or local soils Committee may still

be the most readily available method of ranking the productivity for rangeland.

Assigning Cropland and Non-cropland Values to Each Soil Type or Class

Counties must establish a procedure to separate cropland values from non-cropland values. One

option would be to establish cropland and non-cropland values for each soil type that falls within

the county‘s jurisdiction.

An example of this type of valuation methodology is below:


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Assigning Other Use Categories: Nonproductive Lands

When considering land use in the assessment process, another category of use that may be

encountered is nonproductive land. Nonproductive lands are those areas not managed for

cultivating crops or sustaining livestock and are often given values comparable with the lowest

ranking soil or lowest ranking non-cropland value.

It is important a county defines nonproductive land to meet local conditions and applies the

concept consistently and equitably (e.g. land falling into this category may not have high

agricultural value but may still command high market value).

Descriptions of nonproductive lands are provided:

Farmsteads/Farm Plants/ Ranch Headquarters: A category that includes dwellings,

outbuildings, barns, pens, corrals, and feedlots next to buildings, farmstead or feedlot

windbreaks, and family gardens associated with operating farms and ranches. These

lands are still assessed based on the soil type.

Inundated Lands: Agricultural land that has become flooded due to rising water levels.

These lands are subject to classification under N.D.C.C. Section 57-02-27.2 (6).

Application for consideration as inundated land must be made annually.

Manmade Features: This category includes abandoned railroads, man-made drains,

waterways, dikes, abandoned towns and farmsteads, communication towers, power lines,

billboards, guy lines, wind towers, etc. Please note that the land leased for commercial

purposes, such as communication towers, power lines, billboards, guy lines, and wind

towers, is not assessed as agricultural land.

Marshland (wetland): A land cover/use described as a non-forested area of land partly or

intermittently covered with water and usually characterized by the presence of such

marsh grasses and plants. (Some wetlands may already be classified under N.D.C.C.

Section 57-02-10 or the Emergency Watersheds program 16 U.S.C. Section 2203 and 7

U.S.C. Section 428a, or identified in the soil survey.)

Mines, quarries, and pits: Uses of land for extraction or ores, minerals, and rock

materials. Where the mine, quarry, or pit is active, this land is considered ―Commercial

Property‖ and assessed accordingly. When the mine, quarry, or pit is inactive and

reclaimed, the land reverts to agricultural property. Some of these areas are identified in

the soil survey.

Planted Shelterbelts (Planted windbreaks): Trees planted for the purpose of reducing

wind erosion on agricultural lands. Some shelterbelts may already fall under the Forest

Stewardship tax in chapter 57-57 of the North Dakota Century Code.


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Roads: Include roads, trails, and right-of-ways (Road Permanent Easement, N.D.C.C.

Section 57-02-10 may apply). Some four land roads are identified in the soil survey.

Rural Residences: Residences on agricultural lands, which are not eligible for the farm

residence exemption.

Woodlands (Natural growth trees): Include natural growth trees and brush in and around

fields. Some woodlands may already fall under the Forest Stewardship Tax, N.D.C.C.

chapter 57-57.

Water: A category consisting of permanent water, such as a perennial stream, lake, or

pond. Typically categorized as inundated land and valued at 10% of the lowest valued

soil. Some of these areas have been identified in the soil survey.

The following example illustrates how one North Dakota county assigned a separate, set value to

their non-productive lands:

Agricultural Improvements

Individual landowners may choose to invest and implement the use of various management tools

to increase the production of their fields. Practices such as irrigation and surface or subsurface

drainage to remove excess wetness or salinity are typical throughout the state. These

improvements are considered part of an agricultural operation or management decision and

would not increase the valuation of the land established on soil productivity.


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UNIT 9

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

It is important to keep landowners informed of the changes in the assessment methods used in a

county. Some landowners‘ property values and taxes may be raised due to the high quality of

their soil, while some may see a decrease in value and taxes due to the lower value of their soils

or application of modifiers, or both. Providing landowners with an understanding of how their

property is assessed may help eliminate many questions and concerns.

To assist in state compliance audits, it is important to maintain records of all Soils Committee

minutes, county board decisions regarding land use consideration, soils lists showing ranking

from PIs, Valuation Schedules, schedules of modifiers, and any documents outlining how the

county considers land use. Counties should maintain these documents indefinitely, as well as

any landowner datasheets.

For counties that use a Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping program to determine

acres of soil type per parcel, it is very important to maintain a parcel map layer separate and

distinct from the soil map layer for updating property splits and boundary changes. AN

additional copy of the county parcel layer should be stored in a remote location to protect against

fire or other disaster. Copies of the parcel file annually linked with the soils layer for acreage

determinations should also be maintained separately by year.

County Tax Directors are advised that the average county agricultural land values as provided by

NDSU through the state productivity formula are established by land use, not soil type. When

county tax directors annually submit the county acres to NDSU, the acres submitted should

closely reflect the taxable acres represented by the land use (i.e., cropland, non-cropland, and

inundated). These acreage counts may be acquired from the county Farm Service Agency, or a

summarization of local assessment inspections. The acres are NOT simply to be determined by

the soil type categorization as cropland/non-cropland as produced by their computerized tax

system.


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APPENDIX 1


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