9 Patty, Nic, and Nora Check-In 20FEB2024

Date: Tuesday, February 20, 2024

9.1 Attendees

This project involves updating SSURGO soil survey data for the Twin Cities metro area.
There is a high demand for updated urban soil information. Much of the existing SSURGO data for the core urban areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul is very limited.
The project will involve field sampling, lab analysis, digital soil mapping, and development of products tailored for urban end users.
The project timeline is 2023-2025.
A key early task is defining the project area boundary - the “contiguous census qualifying urbanized area within the Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area”.
Nora is working on analyzing land use, land cover, census, and other data layers to delineate this project area.
The project area will likely encompass Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the inner ring suburbs. It will be smaller than the full 7-county metro area.
Defining the project area boundary will allow intersecting it with the existing SSURGO map units to identify the project map units.

The main project component is conducting field sampling and analysis to update and improve the SSURGO soil map and data for the defined urbanized project area.
The team will start by securing access permissions for public parks, open spaces, etc. This will give initial sites to sample while permissions for other areas are sought.
Field work will involve morphological descriptions and sampling by genetic horizon. Samples will be archived and analyzed.
Mid-infrared spectroscopy will be used to predict soil properties. Lab data will verify and calibrate predictions.
Rasters, not vectors, will be the main mapping products. Rasters integrate well with the high-resolution LiDAR, land cover, and other metro geospatial data.
The NRCS will handle ingesting final raster products into their systems and creating certified SSURGO updates.

A DSP investigation will occur in 2024-2025 at selected urban land use sites.
The DSP investigation will be “extensive” level - less intensive than a full DSM project.
The focus will likely be on variations across urban land uses, especially urban agriculture.
2023 will involve planning and selecting sites for the eventual DSP component.

A documented mapping guide will be developed on conducting urban digital soil mapping and surveys.
It will build off an existing 2023 Urban Soil Survey Mapping Guide (NRCS Urban Focus Team 2023).

Training will be provided to NRCS on using field portable X-ray fluorescence for contaminant screening.
This will tie into the NRCS’s Site Assessment CEMA 207 protocol.

Kickoff meeting with NRCS partners in mid-December 2023.
Broader project kickoff meeting in May 2024 with other potential project data users.
Finalize sampling plans.
Field work in summer 2024.
Plan DSP investigation sites.

Nora: Have project area boundary draft ready for 3/28 meeting.
Nic: Schedule May kickoff meeting.
Patty: Check on getting urban areas shapefile from Census (during meeting with Danielle).
Nic: Send Patty and Nora example mapping guide.

Good foundational data exists - land cover, Lidar, geology maps, etc. This will help stratify sampling and support modeling.
Existing twin cities soil survey isn’t terrible compared to other cities. Useful concepts are present to build from.
Permissions and access are critical in urban areas. Starting with public lands then expanding outward is a solid approach.
NRCS will handle integrating final products into their systems and protocols. The research team will focus on developing the core raster mapping products.
NRCS staff may participate in field work as available. Field calibration will be done in June/July 2023 with all teams present.
Joe Brennan (NRCS) will help with DSP methodology. Patty has DSP experience from other projects.