SOIL SURVEY OF HOCKING COUNTY NOW AVAILABLE ON COMPACT DISC
State-of-the-art software makes soil information easily accessible
COLUMBUS, OH -- A new digitized soil survey of Hocking County allowing farmers, developers and others to easily combine soils information and other natural and cultural resources information is now available on compact disc. The CD’s user-friendly Geographic Information Systems software is compatible with most home or office computers, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
The program opens with a map of Hocking County. Users can simply click on the data they would like to see, including aerial photography, roads, towns, slope, 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 by 2006, the division would like to have soil survey information available in the same format for all 88 Ohio counties.
The soil project is part of a nationwide Soil Survey Geographic Database Initiative managed by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS, The Ohio State University School of Natural Resources, and ODNR are cooperating on the project with help from the Ohio Department of Transportation, U.S. Forest Service, Soil & Water conservation districts, and other local agencies. When the project is complete, counties will have access to maps and information from a single, convenient source.
Hocking County’s computerized soil survey information was certified in April and is available online at
ohiodnr.com. The CD, which offers many advantages over printed soil surveys, is available through the Hocking County Soil & Water Conservation District at 740-385-3016.