Short History of Soil Survey in Georgia

Congress initiated a systematic approach to the study and inventory of soils in the U. S. in 1899. Soil surveys of Cobb County, and of the Covington area, were the first to be completed in Georgia. The U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Soils, published these surveys in 1901. The Covington area had 3 map units: Cecil clay, Cecil sandy loam, and Meadow. Cobb County had four map units, including the same ones as in the Covington area, plus Herndon stony loam.

The first soil series to be established in Georgia were Tifton, Grady, and Chastain. These soils were established during the soil survey of Grady County, which was conducted by Hugh Hammond Bennett and published in 1909.

Reorganization moved soil survey from the Bureau of Soils to the Bureau of Chemistry and Soils, to the Bureau of Plant industry, and then to the Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering. The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) was established in 1935, but it was not until 1952 that the soil survey program was placed under this new agency. The first soil survey to be published by the in Georgia was Towns County in 1954. Fulton County was published in 1958 as the first soil survey in the state printed on aerial photographs. Many of the early surveys were listed as for sale by the superintendent of documents for somewhere between 10 and 45 cents.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) was created to replace the Soil Conservation Service in 1994.

Soon thereafter, the soil survey program was restructured to approach soil survey based on major land resource areas (MLRA's). Field soil survey teams were developed as part of the approach to conducting soil surveys. These teams combine expertise from soil scientists working in similar areas across the state, and into other states, to work with soil classification, correlation, and interpretations. This approach has resulted in better consistency across the political boundaries, a sharing of varied knowledge and experience, and opportunities to collectively work with common issues.

An integral part of soil survey activities in Georgia throughout the years has been the contributions of the University of Georgia. The University has played a vital role in the soil survey program through soil investigations and research in soil genesis, classification, and the relationships between soil properties and interpretations. The University has provided formal education to many of our soil scientists, and also provides continued education to soil survey personnel and others.

Soil survey tools and technology have changed considerably over the years. In the early days, transportation was by horse and buggy. Today we have 4 wheel drive trucks, ATV's, and occasionally use boats and helicopters to reach remote areas. From drawing maps with a plane table and an alidade, we have gone to aerial photographs, satellite imagery, and digital ortho photographs. From presenting information with manually developed interpretive tables and hand colored maps, we now develop, interpret, and display soils information using NASIS from remote locations by way of internet access. Today we locate areas with precision using GPS, and we measure water movement in soils in the field for better interpretations. The Covington area, which was the first soil survey to be published in Georgia, now has a SSURGO certified digital soil survey.

Early soil surveys were made primarily for farm planning, emphasizing surface textures, erosion, and land capability. Although this is still an important use of soil surveys, people in many other fields and areas have now come to appreciate the value of our products. Soil surveys today have found their place in environmental assessment and planning, forestry and wildlife management, and urban planning.

Current soil survey activities involve looking more closely at soils through soil investigation projects, and studying variability across the landscape. More emphasis is now also being placed on helping people to understand soils and to use the information we develop. Soil scientists in Georgia work with students of all ages, educators, and professionals within NRCS and in many other agencies and private organizations. Some of the educational activities include land judging, the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop, Envirothon, classroom activities, and workshops for teachers, environmentalists, foresters, and others.

Regardless of the changes that have occurred over the years, the foundation of the soil survey program is still knowledgeable soil scientists in the field closely observing and learning about the soils, and passing along the knowledge to others.

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