Hugo Neighborhood Association & Historical Society
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Hugo Neighborhood Association & Historical Society |
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AGRICULTURAL SOILS
Capability Classes & Beyond
Agricultural Soils1 S Agricultural Land2 — in western
Oregon is land of predominantly Class I, II, III and IV soils as as classified by the
NRCS. It also includes land in other soil
classes that is suitable for farm use taking into consideration soil fertility;
suitability for grazing; climatic conditions; existing and future availability of water
for farm irrigation purposes; existing land use patterns; technological and energy inputs
required; and accepted farming practices; and land that is necessary to permit farm
practices to be undertaken on adjacent or nearby agricultural lands. Soil Surveys.
The Natural Resource Conservation Service soil surveys are the main or most readily
available, and most universally accepted, source of information regarding farm and forest
capabilities. The soil surveys not only
provide what is often the only data available; the methodology used in the soil surveys
serves as the bench mark for gathering new or additional data. Value Of Survey Unrated Soils.
Sixty-five (65) soils were not rated as suitable for alfalfa hay, grass hay,
pasture, and corn silage. However, of the 46
soils rated, four were Class VI, non-irrigated. All 46 rated soils had a Capability Class I - IV except one, Brockman Variant Very
Gravelly Loam (13), had a IVs, non-irrigated rating, but was not identified in Table 5. What if the soils in question are not one of the 46
soils rated with a high level of management and suitable for alfalfa hay, grass hay,
pasture, and corn silage, and/or their capability class is Class V-VIII? Are these soils not agricultural soils and not
agricultural land? They might not be, but
they might be as the definition of agricultural land is much broader than capability
classes.2 Capability Classes, the broadest groups are
designated by Roman numerals I through VIII (pages 110 - 111, Soil Survey). The numerals indicate progressively greater
limitations and narrow choices for practical use. Capability
subclasses are soil groups within one class. They
are designated by adding a small letter, e, w, s, or c, to the class
numeral, for example IIe. The letter e
shows that the main limitation is risk of erosion unless close-growing plant cover is
maintained; w shows that water in or on the soil interferes with plant growth or
cultivation (in some soils the wetness can be partly corrected by artificial drainage);
s shows that the soil is limited mainly because it is shallow, drought, or stony; and
c, used in only some parts of the United States, shows that the chief limitation is
climate that is very cold or very dry. More Information Agricultural Land. A crucial compliance question
as defined by Goal 3 is whether the land is agricultural land.2 Redesignation of resource lands to nonresource
does not obviate the requirement that comprehensive plan and land use regulation
amendments comply with the statewide planning goals. DLCD v. Curry County, 33 Or
LUBA 728 (1997). Site Specific Work. Would you like to learn more about the Soil Survey
of Josephine County, Oregon and/or the soils of your property? Consider contacting:
This brochure is one of five in the “soil
survey” series.
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© 2012 Hugo Neighborhood Association & Historical Society |