Manual pages that contain information about soil

This page provides links to pages and external sources of information on soils. Some pages listed here are currently in development.

Links to manual pages on soil by subtopic

General soil information

• Overview and role of soil in stormwater management
• Soil classification

Soil properties and processes

• Soil erodibility
• Soil physical properties and processes
• Soil chemical properties and processes
• Soil biologic properties and processes
• Soil hydrologic properties and processes

Managing soils

• Alleviating compaction from construction activities
• Erosion prevention practices
• Sediment control practices
• Stormwater and soil, engineered (bioretention) media, and media amendments
• Guidance for amending soils with rapid or high infiltration rates
• Soil restoration - in development
• Soil contamination - in development

Soil measurements and methods

• Determining soil infiltration rates
• Understanding and interpreting soils and soil boring reports for infiltration BMPs
• Soil sampling and tests
• Assessing soil suitability for stormwater applications - in development
• Assessing soil health and function
• Guidance for amending soils with rapid or high infiltration rates

Tabled values

• Soil water storage properties
• Specific yields for geologic materials
• Design infiltration rates

Soil resources and maps

• Web Soil Survey
• Digital Soil Mapping in Minnesota
• Published soil surveys in Minnesota
• Soil orders and suborders in Minnesota
• Minnesota SWCDs on the web

External Resources

The USDA developed soil indicator fact sheets. These two-page fact sheets provide a nice overview for several important soil properties, such as infiltration, water storage, and bulk density.

Cornell University has developed a manual for soil health and soil health assessment. The manual provides detailed discussion of several soil indicators, methods of analysis including sample collection, interpretation of results, and management strategies.