Newsletter
Fall 2001
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Inside This Issue |
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Downloading GIS Tools and Data |
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ISCA Summer/Fall
Meeting |
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Soil Survey Planning Conference |
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ISCA Minutes |
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Abstract from Dave Grimley
on MS |
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ISCA
Spring Meeting
It’s not even the New Year and you’re already talking of
Spring??? Yep! Mark your
calendars. Our spring meeting will be held
The luncheon will be buffet style. The
entrée is roast rib eye of beef or
stuffed pork chop. The accompaniments include twice baked potato casserole, southern green
beans, bib lettuce salad, sourdough rolls, Dutch apple pie, plus beverages.
Cost of the
meeting/luncheon including tax will be
$15.25 per person. Friends and family members are
welcome. Make your checks payable to ISCA and
send them no later than
Chris Cochran
In the meantime, mark your calendars for this exciting event. For more information contact Chris Cochran at 217-581-7873 or chris.cochran@il.usda.gov.
In Memory of Emil Kubalek
Emil Kubalek passed away at his
home on
Emil's address:
Geraldine Kubalek
Editors Note
Downloading GIS Tools and
Data
There are several sites on the net where GIS Tools and Data can be downloaded for free. This information can be used to improve the quality of reports you give to your customers.
Tools
ESRI provides some free programs that can be used to view GIS data. Arc Explorer is one of those programs. Arc Explorer can be used to display orthophotography and to query the accompanying GIS Data. Arc explorer is a lightweight GIS data viewer. Arc View and Arc Info can be purchased for those who need more than just viewing and printing data and images.
Step1.
Log on to www.esri.com. In the left hand blue column, you will see the word free near the bottom. Simply click onto free resources under the word free. In the software column, click on Arc Explorer. You can click on the overview of ARC Explorer 2 to learn more about it. If you are interested then you may proceed to download Arc Explorer 2. You will be asked several questions about your interest during the downloading process and you will be asked to register with ESRI. The download usually takes from 30 to 45 minutes. I would save ARC Explorer to your Desktop. You should also download the Arc Explorers users guide to help guide you through the process of viewing and querying data. Arc Explorer is 12.8MB and the users guide is 1.2 MB.
Step 2.
Once Arc Explorer has been downloaded you will need to install it by following the steps in the aesetup.exe. Now you are ready to view, query and print data.
Data
The Illinois Natural Resources Geospatial Database Clearing House (located at www.isgs.uiuc.edu/nsdihome ) has the following free data that can be downloaded:
Statewide data on surficial geology, bedrock geology, water resources, natural history, infrastructure, base data and PLSS (Public Land Survey System).
County data on archeology, census, floodzones, municipal boundaries, NWI, rails, roads, streams and wells.
DRG data (Topo maps) at a scale of 1:24000, 1:100,000 or 1:250,000.
DOQQ data (Orthophotographs) of most of the state. These images are compressed Mr. Sid images so they tend to get fuzzy at scales larger than 1:1000. You can read more about Mr. Sid Images at www.lizardtech.com/products/mrsid.html.
Des Plaines River Watershed Orthophotography can also be downloaded. These images have a 1x1 foot resolution at a 1:2400 scale.
Before downloading any data, new folders need to be set up on your hard drive to store the data. Click on Start, Programs, then Explorer or Windows NT Explorer. Click on the drive you wish to store data on, for instance C, then click file, new, folder. Now on the right hand side of your window you will have a folder entitled new folder. You can rename the folder by right clicking with your mouse on the folder or by clicking on the word new folder. I would recommend that you name the file GIS. Now you are ready to download orthos and other data that might be helpful for your next project.
21st Annual Central
States Forest-Soils Workshop
The Central States Forest-Soils workshop is an annual event
that rotates among
The conference this year contrasted forest soils with soils developed under prairie vegetation. It also highlighted and contrasted the soils and vegetation of wetlands versus the soils and vegetation of the sandy deposits resulting from the Kankakee Torrent.
On Tuesday evening the conference started with a presentation from John “Doc” Ebinger who gave an overview of the geologic and vegetative history of the region. Fran Harty, IDNR Heritage Biologist, and Pat Thrasher from the USFS each gave an overview of some of the field stops. The field trip began on Wednesday morning under a cloud of rain (to the dismay of the workshop planners, in particular). Fortunately, the rain quit about the time the busses reached the first stop and the weather was great for the rest of the event.
The first stop was at the Momence Wetlands. At 2,500 acres, this area is the last natural
vestige of the pre-settlement, million-acre Kankakee Grand Marsh that extended
from
The tour featured a nice box lunch, in the field, and then
stops in the afternoon at the Iroquois State Fish and Wildlife Area. At four square miles in size, this areas is one of the finest and most expansive complexes of
high quality sedge meadow, wet sand prairie, black oak sand savanna, and pin
oak flatwoods in
On Thursday morning the group headed to the Midewin National Tallgrass
Prairie (not a typical site for a forest soils workshop). Established in 1996, the Midewin
is
ISCA was one of the co-sponsors of the workshop, along with NRCS, IDNR, USFS, and
SWCD’s of Will-South Cook and
Other ISCA members who participated were:
(continued on page 4)
Bob McLeese, Don Fehrenbacher, Mike Kiefer, Ken Gotsch, Pat
Kelsey, Dale Calsyn, and Mark Bramstedt. (Forgive me
if I left anyone out!)
Ken Gotsch, Bryan Fitch, Bob Tegeler, and Les Bushue investigate Watseka loamy sand for the Forest Soils Workshop.
Summer/Fall Meeting
On September 14th 18 of our membership along with
family and friends met at Richard’s Farm Restaurant in Casey, Illinois for an
evening of fellowship, feasting and a very interesting presentation on the
settlement of the Illinois prairie. Melody
Our raffle winners for the event were Catherine Swain – Soils and Men, 1938 USDA Yearbook of Agriculture and Neil Molstad – Land, 1958 USDA Yearbook of Agriculture. These prized books were courtesy of Ron Collman.
A tour of fragipan soils in Crawford,
Chris Cochran, Doug Gaines, Ken Gotsch, Dana Grantham, Karla
Hanson and Sam Werner along with family and friends
rounded out their meeting experience by camping at the
Submitted by Chris Cochran
Sam
Werner discusses fragipans and Bt/E horizons during the fall tour.
ISCA and NRCS sponsored an in-ground soils exhibit at the Illinois Conservation Expo which took place August 28-30 in East Peoria at Illinois Central College (ICC) and the adjacent Blye/Keil Farm located in Tazewell County near East Peoria.
More than 3000 people came to view innovative conservation practices and exhibits on property that is under development as both residential agricultural use.
The soils exhibit featured our state soil and contained
exhibits showing how soil properties effect suitability for sewage disposal,
building sites, dam construction, and agriculture uses. Geology, landscapes, soil profile
descriptions, and on-site soil analysis were also illustrated.
In addition, at
A workshop for contractors was held the morning prior to the show where about 30 ILICA members heard Doug Ebelher, IL Dept. of Public Health, Steven Zwicker, NRCS, and Sanitarians from Peoria, Tazwell, and Woodford counties speak on the use of soils information as an option contained in the state code. Good dicussions were heard from the numerous questions that resulted. There was an overwhelming sense that contractors are using on-site soils information more and more and that the health departments are encouraging them to do so.
Many favorable comments were heard from those viewing the in-ground soils display. Those who contributed their time and effort to the successful completion of this exhibit were greatly appreciated: Jerry Berning, Mark Bramstedt, Paige Buck, Steve Elmer, Chuck Frazee, Carla Hanson, Steve Higgins, Jim Hornickel, Roy Mahnesmith, Bob McLeese, Wiley Scott, Steve Suhl, Cathy Swain, Bill Teater, Roger Windhorn, and Steve Zwicker. A special thanks goes to Wayne Litwiller, ILICA, and his staff for the extra attention to detail they gave in digging the pit and to Charlie Schaffer with Agri-Drain for the use of their water control valve.
Students touring the ISCA exhibit at the Illinois Conservation Expo.
Some of the information from the soil pit at the Illinois Conservation Expo.
Meeting
Minutes
v
NRCS State Conservationist
Bill Gradle convened the meeting at
v
24 participants were in
attendance (see attached sign-in sheet).
v
Status Reports by
Cooperators
· U of I Ag Experiment Station
and CES by Ken Olson
Olson discussed Bulletins 810 and 811. The updated Soil
Productivity ratings for
Conservation tillage work in
southern
Fly Ash/Erosion study at Cahokia Mounds
Soil Taxonomy/Soil Erosion issue
·
IDA by Terry Donohue
IDA has budgeted $423,800 for FY 02 and FY 03 for
soil survey activities. They have also
allocated $45,000 for grants to SWCD’s for GIS
activities.
15 SWCD’s are eligible to
receive up to $3000 for GIS hardware, software, and training.
IDA’s
·
ISGS
No report.
·
IDOT by John Washburn and Riyad Wahab
Washburn discussed IDOT’s
agreement with NRCS to deliver digital soil survey data for priority
counties. Wahab
expressed IDOT’s willingness to process engineering
samples if needed by soil survey staff.
·
AISWCD
No report.
·
USFS
No report.
·
ISCA by Jim Hornickel
Hornickel reported on some of the activities that ISCA has been involved in the past year, including--
(continued on page 9)
1.
State Soil Effort. Governor George Ryan signed legislation on
August 2 designating Drummer
silty clay loam as
2.
ISCA’s website is up and running
at www.illinoissoils.org.
3.
ISCA is represented on IDPH’s State Advisory Committee for Private Sewage
Disposal.
4.
ISCA participated in the
2001 Conservation Expo in August by hosting a soils exhibit/pit.
5.
Don Fehrenbacher is the ISCA
representative. ISCA currently has 100
members. 45 members are certified as
Professional Soil Classifiers.
·
NRCS by Bob McLeese
McLeese reported on FY 01 accomplishments and FY 02
goals. Fifteen counties now have a
SSURGO certifed database (SoilView
is available for 6 of these). Digitizing
is in progress in 11 counties and map compilation work is ongoing in 7
counties. Cooperative agreements to
update and digitize the soil survey have been signed in 31 additional counties.
20 more counties should be
SSURGO certified in FY 02.
Go to www.il.nrcs.usda.gov
for more information.
v
Other Reports
·
MO 10
No report.
·
MO11 by Asghar Chowdhery
and Gary Struben
Chowdhery and Struben
discussed
·
VERIS 3100 Update by Roger Windhorn
Windhorn updated the participants on the use of the VERIS 3100 for special
projects in
·
State Soil update by Steven Shiley, Amanda
Hager and Bridget McLeese
Shirley, Hayes, and
·
SoilView by Tom D’Avello
D’Avello demonstrated the Champaign County SoilView.
v
Discussion
Dean Spindler, IDNR, spoke of the need to evaluate
the mined land areas of
Sam Indorante, Project Leader in
v
The meeting adjourned at
v
Note! 2002 meeting is set for
ISCA
members investigate Hosmer silt loam during the fall
meeting.
MINUTES
ISCA COUNCIL MEETING
NRCS STATE OFFICE,
Present:
Karla Hanson, President
Lester Bushue, President-Elect
Bill Teater, Vice-President
Charles Frazee, Treasurer
Bob Tegeler, Secretary
Gerald Berning, Chairperson, Certification
Board
Mark Bramstedt, Chairperson, Ethics, Certification, and Membership
Committee
Chris Cochran, Chairperson, Program Committee
The Council Meeting was called to order by President Karla Hanson at
Secretary's
Report - Bob Tegeler. The minutes were approved as written. Bob mentioned a correction to the March, 2001
Council Meeting Minutes, and a correction to the
Treasurer's
Report - Charles Frazee. The
treasurer's report showed a balance of $11870.78, as of
Certification Board - Gerald Berning. No new activities to date. The board is considering policy regarding
recertification. Nothing
definite at this time.
Standing Committee reports
Constitution,
By-Laws and Legislative - No
report.
Ethics,
Certification and Membership -
Mark Bramstedt. His committee has not received any membership
applications for consideration. Mark
mentioned that Mark Stelford and Gloria Westphal are
also serving on the committee.
Finance - Bill Teater. No new
activities.
Newsletter -No report.
Nominations - No report.
(continued
on page 12)
Public
Relations and Education Committee/Special Appointee to State Advisory
Commission on Private Sewage Disposal - No report.
Program
- Chris Cochran. Chris
handed out information regarding the upcoming Summer/Fall meeting scheduled for
September 14 and 15, 2001. This
information will be sent to ISCA Members in the near future. Karla Hanson will contact Matt McCauley about
the possibility of placing the information in the next newsletter.
Ad Hoc Committees
Historic
- No report.
State Soil - Karla
Hanson reported that the State Soil Bill could be signed by Governor Ryan
during the 2001 Illinois State Fair.
Karla mentioned that Bob McLeese requested $200.00 from ISCA, for the
purchase of 100 wooden monolith trays.
These trays will contain profiles of Drummer, and will be used for
educational purposes at schools and the state fair. A motion was made and approved to provide
$200.00 for the monolith trays. Karla
also mentioned that Bob McLeese requested $1300.00, from ISCA, for 20,000
bookmarks that explain Drummer as the State Soil. A motion to allocate $1300.00 for bookmarks
was made and approved. It is possible
that the Natural Resources Conservation Service could reimburse ISCA some of
the $1300.00, at a later date. The
bookmarks will include the ISCA logo.
Technical Criteria (Key to
Wastewater Loading Rates) - No
report. (continued on page 11)
Old Business
ISCA Web page - Bill Teater reported that he had contacted a web provi