Dec 21

news editorWritten by:
12/21/2007 12:58 PM

COLUMBUS, OH -- A new digitized soil survey of Wayne County that allows for easy access to information about soils and other natural and cultural resources is now available on compact disc, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). The CD’s user-friendly Geographic Information Systems software is compatible with most home or office computers.

The program, which will be particularly useful to farmers and developers, opens with a map of Wayne County. Users can simply click on the data they would like to see, including aerial photography, roads, towns, slopes, drainage, soil types, and crop yields. The program then redraws the map with the selected information. 

“This tool gives a broad view of soil conditions for planning purposes,” said David Hanselmann, chief of the ODNR Division of Soil & Water Conservation. “It is a land-use planning tool so development and farming can be done in a way that is environmentally responsible.”Hanselmann added that the division now has soil survey information available in the same format for all 88 Ohio counties.

Ohio’s soil digitizing project is part of a nationwide Soil Survey Geographic Database Initiative managed by the Natural Resource Conservation Service. The service, The Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources, and ODNR are cooperating on the project with help from the Ohio Department of Transportation, U.S. Forest Service, county soil & water conservation districts, and other local agencies.

Wayne County’s computerized soil survey information is certified.   The CD and information on how to access related information online are available through the Wayne County Soil & Water Conservation District at 330-262-2836.

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