By Jeff Burbrink
Extension Educator, Purdue Extension Elkhart County

Jeff Burbrink
Extension Educator, Purdue University Elkhart County

GOSHEN — The first soil surveys the U.S. were conducted in 1899, and were conducted by men who were geologists, chemists and building engineers. None had training in agronomy. As time went by, it became clear that surveying of soils had more uses than originally intended.

Elkhart County was originally surveyed in 1916. That survey lists five basis categories of soils and had no map of the county. The description of Elkhart County agriculture is a trip back in time, describing farms with a little bit of everything, from crops, to livestock to orchards. Land, the survey declared, averages $100 per acre.

In 1974, the Soil Conservation Service released the first modern soil survey of Elkhart County. This version was much more inclusive of the various uses of our soils, and was the first to compare yields expected from our various soils, giving people a way to predict how farms may vary in productivity. In fact, Elkhart County was the first county in the state to use soil productively as a part of our property assessment system.

Despite the fact that soils do not change much over time, the terminology describing soils did. So, in 2002, the Natural Resources Conservation Service released an updated version of the Elkhart County survey, which matched up better with those in neighboring counties. You can see all the surveys online at www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/surveylist/soils/survey/state/?stateId=IN

Today, all kinds of people use the soil survey as a starting point to assess the capabilities of our land. As a member of the county plan commission, I see the survey incorporated in the plans for housing and industrial subdivisions each month. Land buyers will look at the soil maps to determine if a property deserves further review for such projects. And while the maps are far too general to determine a specific site for a septic system, the science that went into the categorization of soils drives the decisions for the location of field systems throughout the Midwest.

The modern surveys also include interesting facts about our community, including the formation of our soils, our climate and water resources. If you are a history buff or natural resources enthusiast, these soil surveys, both historical and modern, may surprise you with details about the community.