My work takes me to a farm in Essex MA. Working with the NRCS State Soil Scientist Al Averill, we have to make a determination if some of the fields on this farm are highly erodible land (HEL). The way we determine HEL is by digging test pits to determine what type of soil we are dealing with and then determining the slope.
Here is an example from the report Al wrote:
Methodology: land in question was traversed on foot, holes excavated with a tile spade, auger and probe. Soil properties were noted.
Results; map depicting approximate locations of field boundaries plowed areas and areas dominated by shallow soils and rock outcrop.
Map Legend:
1,2,3,4, – CLU field boundaries in red ink a.,b., c – plowed areas w/in field boundaries in black ink Areas w/in blue polygons delineated w/ blue ink – dominated by shallow Hollis soils w/ lesser amounts of rock outcrop
Areas dominated by Chatfield soils: 1,2a.,2b.,2c.,3b.,3c.
Areas dominated by Woodbridge soils: 3a.
Areas dominated by Charlton soils/highly erodible land – 4.
Learnings from this exercise, how to use a clinometer, soil horizons, soil types and HEL determinations on Ag land. Knowing if you have HEL as a farmer is extremely important as it pertains to government funding such as EQIP, not to mention soil health.
NRCS Internship 