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KSSL Guidance

Documents that guide the Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory including field guides, methods and manuals, soil sample submission, and requests for assistance.

Field Guides

Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils, version 3.0 (7.14 MB)
Field Indicators of Hydric Soils (14.35 MB)

Laboratory Methods and Manuals

Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory Methods Manual, SSIR 42, Version 6.0 (2022) (17.32 MB)
Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory Methods Manual, SSIR 42, Version 6.0, Part 2: Obsolete Methods (2022) (4.5 MB)
Soil Survey Laboratory Information Manual, SSIR 45, Version 2.0 (2011) (10.48 MB)
Soil Survey Field and Laboratory Methods Manual, SSIR 51, Version 2.0 (2014) (10.31 MB)
NRCS Soil Survey Office Laboratory Safety Guide, Version 3.0 (2022) (290.95 KB)
A Routine Laboratory Method to Determine Phosphorus Availability, Capacity, & Release Characteristics for Soils, SSIR 55 (2016) (1.11 MB)

Soil Sample Submission

Documentation and procedures necessary for KSSL sample submission. Submit one project sheet for each project. Submit one workbook for each pedon in the sampling project.

Also included is a sample submission sheet for Dynamic Soil Properties (DSP) pedons only.
 

Soil Sample Submission Protocol for the KSSL (4/23) (2.78 MB)
KSSL Project Sheet (10/19/22) (21.61 KB)
KSSL Sample Submission Workbook (8/14/24) (84.66 KB)
KSSL Sample Submission Workbook for DSP Projects (8/14/24) (79.17 KB)

KSSL Requests for Assistance

Until further notice, the National Soil Survey Center and Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory soil archive is unavailable for subsampling. The archive is being readied for a physical move to a new location and is subject to new curation requirements. The KSSL is developing a sample management program to ensure compliance. Please be patient while the KSSL takes all steps to contain, transfer and curate its invaluable collection of soil samples.

Requests for Fiscal Year 2024.

Request for Assistance Supplemental Guidance (301.04 KB)
Sampling Equipment (200.69 KB)

Contact Soils

Please contact us if you see something that needs to be updated, if you have any questions, or if you need accessibility assistance.

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