Soil survey of the pilot watersheds Southwestern Ontario

Abstract

This report contains the baseline soil data and soil survey maps for the soil inventories conducted within the Essex, Kettle Creek and Pittock Creek Watershed study areas. The surveys were conducted using soil survey techniques outlined by the Expert Committee on Soil Survey (ECSS) in the Canada Soil Information System (CANSIS) manual for describing soils in the field. All data were entered and stored onto microcomputer databases.Three types of benchmark sites were described and sampled within each watershed. They consisted of the modal benchmark site, describing the nature of the soil profile, the topsoil spatial benchmark, which will monitor soil physical changes, and cesium benchmarks which over a period of time can be used to assess the extent of erosion. Both the topsoil and cesium benchmark sites are useful to distinguish differences between conventional and conservation tillage systems.