Brochure 2 in Soil Survey Series

 Intensive & Extensive Mapping

 

January 21, 2004

Land Use Committee

Hugo Neighborhood Association & Historical Society

Member of the CACNA Coalition

Soil Survey Mapped At Two Levels Of Intensity¹

This 1,040,000 acre Josephine County Soil Survey was mapped at two levels of intensity or detail. The more detailed part of the survey would be considered a 2nd order level and the less detailed part would be a 3rd order level. Soil map units in the 2nd order level are identified by field observation and by remotely sensed data. This data is considered intensive and can be used for general agriculture and urban planning. Map unit size is generally no smaller than 10 acres but could be as small as 4 acres. Soil map units in the 3rd order level usually have less field verification and more remotely sensed data than the 2nd order units. This data is considered extensive and can be used for range and community planning. Unit size is generally 40 acres or larger but could be as small as 4 acres.

The Soil Survey has 157,532 acres (15%) of 2^nd order survey, 880556 acres (85%) of 3^rd order survey, and 1,912 acres (0%) of water.²

Map scale of the published soil maps is 1:20,000. This scale equates to 1,666.7 feet per inch, 0.6 inches per 1,000 feet, 3.17 inches per mile or 63.77 acres per square inch.  Acreage and proportionate extent of each map unit is given in table 4 of the Soil Survey.

Value Of Survey

The 2^nd Order Survey has more utility for land use proposals with land divisions to 5 acres or less than the 3^rd Order Survey.  The following Josephine County mapping units have a 2^nd Order Survey (check the Soil Survey to verify).

A careful and complete review of the map unit description is critical to proper use of soil survey data.

2^nd Order Mapping Units

1B, 1C, 1D, 4, 5B, 5C, 11B, 11C, 12B, 12D, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17B, 18A, 18B, 22, 27C, 27D, 30, 34, 38A, 38C, 42B, 42C, 42D, 42E, 46, 52, 53B, 53C, 53D, 53E, 57, 61B, 61C, 61D, 61E, 64, 67B, 67C, 68B, 68D, 73, 74, 83

For more information on soil surveys or soil resources go to the NRCS web sites.

Ö  www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/pnw_soil/index.html; Ö  www.soils.usda.gov

The BLM also has a soils web site.

Ö  www.blm.gov.gov/nstc/soil/kids

More Information

The Takelma Indians were the predominant group of people in Josephine County prior to the coming of the white men.  The only cultivated crop was tobacco.  The staple vegetables of the Takelmas were acorns, camas bulbs, manzanita berries, and sugar pine nuts.  Fish, deer, and elk were also used as food.

Would you like to learn more about the Soil Survey of Josephine County, Oregon and/or the soils of your property?  Consider contacting:

Dennis E. Hutchison

Certified Professional Soil Scientist/Classifier

1578 Joelson Road

Umpqua, OR 97486

Phone: 541-673-9783

Email: pjhdeh@wizzards.net

More Information.  Would you like to learn more about citizen involvement in land use planning?  Contact a member of the Land Use Committee of the Hugo Neighborhood. 

This brochure is one of five in the “soil survey” series .

1.         Soil Survey

2.         2^nd & 3^rd Order Soil Surveys

3.         Agricultural Soils

4.         Forest Soils

5.         On-Site Soil Investigations