SOIL INFORMATION

This page contains links to resources for soil classifiers, educators, and the general public about soil, soil classification, and soil interpretations. Disclaimer: Documents developed by the Illinois Soil Classifiers Association and other documents presented here, are from published and/or unpublished sources. Any recommendations contained herein are informational and may become dated as new research and information is developed. By acting upon, or otherwise utilizing any of this information, the user takes responsibility for any outcome and agrees to not hold ISCA, including its officers and committees, liable.

General & Educational Soils Information

Ask-A-Soil-Classifier "Illinois - Understanding Soils" (pamphlet) Introducción a los Suelos "Illinois Soil Classifiers Association" (brochure) Illinois State Soil - Drummer silty clay loam ISCA Soil Texture Kit for Sale! Burton W. Ray Scholarship Award in Soil Science Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) - Soils USDA NRCS, Illinois - Soils Teacher & Student Soils Resources, USDA NRCS Soil Texture Triangle and "Feel" Flow Chart "From the Surface Down" (brochure) "Dig It! The Secrets of Soils" (Smithsonian exhibit materials) "Dirt! The Movie" "Symphony of the Soil" (movie) Home Science: Backyard Conservation Dr. Dirt: K-12 Teaching Resources Soil Health - USDA NRCS Soil Productivity Index Ratings for Illinois Soil Technical Notes - English Notas técnicas sobre el suelo - Español Notas técnicas do solo - Português
Illinois Soil Evaluation Field Book (FFA Land/Soil Judging Guidebook & Score Cards)

ISCA Field Trips, Summer Meetings, & Seminars

1976 Miller Park, Bloomington 1977 New Salem State Park 1978 Camp Cilca, Springfield 1979 Lake of the Woods, Mahomet 1981 Cahokia Mounds 1982 New Salem State Park Summer Meeting 1983 Soils and Geology of Farmdale Park, Tazewell County 1984 Hidden Springs State Forest, Shelby County1985 Princeton Area Soils and Geology1986 Soils Tour of Marion County1987 Soils of the Edwards River Valley, Mercer County 1988 Soils of Glacial Lake Muddy, Rend Lake 1989 Septics and Soils, Crystal Lake, McHenry County1990 Soil-Wetland Relationships, DuPage County Soil-Wetland Relationships Seminar Notes1991 Soils of St. Clair County1992 Intensive Soil Survey for Land Use Planning 1993 Certification and Professionalism, Springfield Lake 1994 Procedures for Certification, St. Charles, MO with MAPSS1997 Hydric Soils, Glaciated Upper Midwest 1998 Precision Agriculture, Monticello 1999 Soils and Geologic History of Unglaciated Region of Southern Illinois, Giant City 2000 Soils of JoDavies County, Galena 2001 Central States Forest Soils Workshop, Kankakee & Will Counties 2002 Soils of Adams County, IL and Marion County, MO, Quincy2003 Loam-textured Diamictons, Kane County2004 Spring Bay, Middle Illinois River Valley Soils2005 Shelbyville Moraine Soils, Clark County2006 Rock River Hill Country Soils, Ogle County2007 Central States Forest Soils Workshop, Carbondale2008 Soils of the Spring Bluff Forest Preserve, Lake County 2009 Hill Prairies of Menard and Mason Counties, Petersburg2010 Soils of the Mississippi River Valley near Quincy 2011 Soils, Grapes, and Wine, Centralia2012 DeKalb County Ice-Walled Lake Plains 2013 Central States Forest Soils Workshop, Driftless Area, Galena 2014 Wetland Reserve Program, West Lafayette, IN with IAPSC 2015 Vincennes, IN with IAPSC 2016 North Central Regional Cooperative Soil Survey Conference, Sycamore2017 Soils of Pyramid State Recreation Area2018 Soils of North-Central IL and Septic Seminar2019 Central States Forest Soils Workshop, Carbondale 2021 Fall Workshop, Soils of the ISU Farm, Lexington 2022 Field Workshop, Soils of the Old ISU Farm, Normal 2023 Soils and Geology of JoDavies County, Elizabeth 2024 Soils of the South, Giant City State Park

Hydric Soils & Wetlands

Soils & Septics

ISCA Field Practicum Package IDPH – Part 905 Private Sewage Disposal Code - Exhibit B has errors. Corrections have been submitted to IDPH, Use the “Key for Septic Loading Rates” belowKey for Septic Loading Rates Effective 8/28/2013, corrected 1/6/2019 – Use this corrected table immediately!Key for Estimating Infiltration for DuPage County Interim Standards for Artificial Drainage of Septic Field Areas in Illinois with Exhibits Experimental Key for Estimating NSF/ANSI-350 Loading Rates for Illinois SoilsISCA Approved Soil Description Form for On-Site Septic Evaluations (Excel Spreadsheet)ISCA Approved Soil Description Form 1 for On-Site Septic Evaluations (pdf) ISCA Approved Soil Description Form 2Bibliography of Soils and On-Site WasteWater Treatment ReferencesISCA Guide for Estimating Surface Discharges for NPDES PermitsUS EPA NPDES Illinois Surface DischargePurdue Extension - Septic Systems"Understanding Your Soil Report for Septic Suitability" - ISCA document"Illinois – Understanding Soils" (pamphlet) Introducción a los Suelos IALEHA 2018 Panel Discussion

Soil Research, Soil Classification, & Soil Survey

Soil Organizations

Illinois Universities with Soils Curriculum

Other Natural Resources Links