A soil survey is a combination of field and laboratory activities intended to identify the basic physical and chemical properties of soils, establish the distribution of those soils at specific map scales, and interpret the information for a variety of uses.

There are two kinds of soil surveys, general purpose and specific use. General purpose surveys collect and display data on a wide range of soil properties which can be used to evaluate the suitability of the soil or area for a variety of purposes. Specific use soil surveys evaluate the suitability of the land for one specific use. Only physical and chemical data related to that particular use are collected, and map units are designed to convey that specific suitability.

A soil survey consists of three major activities: research, mapping, and interpretation. The research phase involves investigations that relate to the distribution and performance of...