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                                                                         News Feature                                                            5/6/2008

Wabasha County Web Soil Survey Ceremony

A Web Soil Survey Ceremony took place at the Wabasha County Courthouse on May 6, 2008.  The event provided the opportunity for the conservation partnership to showcase the results of the recently completed Wabasha County Soil Survey update.  Peter Hartman, Project Soil Survey Leader spearheaded the effort in planning this ceremony. 

Mark Kuhlig, District Conservationist for the Wabasha Field Office thanked the Wabasha County Commissioners and local conservation partnership for their support of the soil survey.  Kuhlig said the field work for the initial soil survey was completed in 1959.  The first published soil survey was finished in 1965.  The old soil survey had a huge focus in on cropland.  This recent update expanded the opportunity to include more soil interpretations for the soil survey user. 

In April, 2000, a soil survey update was approved.  Support came from various conservation partners, including, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR), Wabasha County Commissioners and the Wabasha County Soil and Water Conservation District.  An innovative approached was utilized in this soil survey update, including soil survey field work that was contracted out to private soil scientists.  NRCS soil scientists took the leadership in making this soil survey update happen! 

John Nicholson, Assistant State Conservationist-Field Operations, Rochester, MN said that the roll-out of this web based soil survey is a way to bring the soil technology up to the 21st Century technology.  Wabasha county residents were acknowledged for recognizing the importance of soils in this day and age. 

John Beck, Area Soil Scientist provided an online viewing of the Web Soil Survey.  Beck’s showcasing of the Web Soil Survey provided those in attendance at the event with a viewing of local Wabasha soil survey information, via the World Wide Web!

Greg Larson, State Soil Specialist with BWSR said the recent Southeast Minnesota soil survey updates have helped out the rest of the country.  The advent of the digital source of information will be increasingly useful for future soil survey updates, not only in Minnesota but throughout the United States of America. 

Back in 1997, Sherburne county, Minnesota was the only Minnesota county with a digital   soil survey.  Today in 2008, Wabasha county is the 83rd county to have a digital soil survey. 

Peter Riester, Wabasha County Commissioner acknowledged his appreciation for the efforts of those who have been involved in the Wabasha Soil Survey update.  The soils information is going to benefit the citizens of Wabasha county, Minnesota.

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