Home > Soil Surveys Digitization and Mapping project
The digitization of the Arkansas Soil Surveys started in the early 1990s with the support of the Arkansas Legislature. The year 2005 will mark the completion of the last survey in Arkansas in digital format. The soil digital datasets constitute the first step in the completion of the Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO ) Initiative. Soil survey digitizing, methodology, and data certification represent the main steps of this process.
The digitization process consisted mainly of raster scanning maps at 1:24,000 or 1:20,000 scale, raster processing, raster editing, map neatline development, edge matching, vector conversion and digitizing (by line segment in accordance to Natural Resources Conservation Service standards). Other operations involved removing the unwanted objects, error checking, and polygon attributing with the Map Unit Interpretation Records (MUIR). The mapping process meets the national map accuracy standards (7.5 minute quadrangles). The digitization process was accomplished at the University of Arkansas and the quality control was performed by the State Soil Scientist, GIS specialists, soil scientists, and cartographic technicians at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Arkansas State Office in Little Rock.
All the state's current SSURGO-NRCS soils data sets (74) are to be certified by July 2006. Click here for a status map of the digitization/certification and availability of the Arkansas Soil Surveys. The certified digital soils data are provided to the public through the GeoStor system. Wider public access to the soils datasets can be achieved through the official USDA Web Soil Survey information system as viewable maps and tables for more than 2300 soil surveys.
For more information please contact:
Cristina Scarlat
Ph: (479) 575 2692
Email: cscarla@cast.uark.edu
