​A deep understanding of the sites soil conditions informs our design and install decisions around water, access, building, planting and so much more. Even before getting onsite to perform soil nutrient tests, excavation pits and perc tests, we can get a sense from our office chairs for the general geological conditions we may encounter in the field. The Web Soil Survey from the USGS is a fast, easy tool to understand the likely soil characteristics on our projects.
 
Using the Soil Data Explorer we have free access to data such as vegetation type, soil structure, water holding capacity and soil organic matter; you can really go down the rabbit hole of data.  Here are some general instructions on how to use the tool.
 
https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/GettingStarted.htm Try it out on your next project!