Monona County Welcomes New Soil Survey

Onawa—A ceremony celebrating the release of a $650,000 update of the Monona County Soil Survey was held Thursday, February 19 , 2004, 9:30 a.m. until noon at the Onawa Community and Recreation Center.  The release ceremony caps a 16-year effort to update the soil survey to catalog the different types of soils found in Monona County.

The Monona County Soil Survey was last published in 1959.  Mike Sucik, State Soil Scientist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, says, “We’ve used better technology to update and improve the soils data used in Monona County.  With over 18,000 types of soils found in the United States, soils differ in suitability for various uses based on soil properties.  The update will more than pay for itself by giving accurate information needed for citizens to make informed land use decisions.”

The paper versions of soil surveys are heavy.  The new Monona County Soil Survey weighs 6.1 pounds in print.  However, for the first time in Iowa, a CD version of the soil survey will be available as well.  “CD soil surveys are great,” says Monona County District Conservationist Kathy Schneider.  “They are easy and inexpensive to duplicate and anyone can look at the information and import it into their computers to work with it.”

Soil surveys are conducted to systematically identify what types of soils are found in various locations within an area.  Farmers, developers, homebuyers, planners, engineers, and others use the results to match land use to specific soil properties.  Conservationists, wildlife management, and pollution control experts use the survey to help them understand, protect and enhance the environment.

The new Monona County soil survey is sponsored by the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Division of Soil Conservation-Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Monona County Board of Supervisors, and ISU Extension, Iowa State University.

Soil surveys are available at county NRCS field offices, extension offices, public libraries, and conservation district offices.

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