Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Land Use Properties of Soils and Soil Quality Soil Surveys and Interpretive Soils Mapping Land Application of Wastes Soil Erosion, Assessment, and Mitigation Urban Soils Agricultural Lands and Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Planning
Soil Drainability
Soil Productivity and Resource Value: USDA Agricultural Land Capability Classification
Step 2: List soils and their rating or limitation from soil survey tables
Step 3: Make table sorting soils by category: Limitations for Dwellings with Basements
On-site septic systems Sanitary landfills Sewage sludge biosolids Animal manures and nutrient management
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Parts of the town unserved 700 septic systems Future of Toms Creek basin? New sewer interceptor proposed in 2002, but the basin is zoned for rural residential Concern: Build it, they will come (dense development follows infrastructure) Approved by Council, then citizens voted Council out No sewer line!
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Toms Creek area will develop in clusters with open space Is conventional septic a good idea? No, but there are alternatives: Septic tank effluent pump/gravity systems (STEP/STEG)
Proposed Houses Open Space Natural Hydrology
RUSLE2 Software:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=6038
Chose a location to set climate: from the pop-down menu which reveals states then general area with in the state. Pick the nearest location to your site and it will set the r value. Choose the soil type: this is done by textural class and high-mediumlow organic matter and permeability, all of which can be gleaned from the soil survey for the site. Set slope topography: length and steepness are simply entered. Select and modify management: this sets the c value by selecting from an extensive pop-down menu of values specific to land use, cover, and management. Set supporting practices: this sets the p value from pop-down choices under contouring, strips/barriers and diversion/sediment basin.
Soil Compaction: increased bulk density caused by any weight on land surface, such as construction equipment, vehicles, and pedestrians. Compacted soil inhibits drainage, aeration, and root growth, and behaves like impervious surfaces. Impervious Surfaces like roads and parking lots interrupt exchange of gases, alter drainage, and increase soil temperature. Moving Soils through grading and clearing eliminates topsoil, increases erosion, and affects drainage and aeration. Soil Contamination: chemical spills, waste dumping, excessive fertilizer/pesticide use, and runoff pollution contaminate soils. Use of Fill Dirt affects drainage, aeration, and compaction.
Design Phase Evaluate the site: topography, drainage, vegetation, soils, rainfall patterns. Divide the site into the natural drainage areas Plan the development to fit the site. Determine limits of clearing and grading. Divide the project into smaller phases. Divert water from disturbed areas, minimize length and steepness of slopes, avoid soil compaction Select temporary and permanent erosion and sediment control practices:
Soil stabilization (soil cover: vegetative and non-vegetative covers) Sediment control (sediment filters, basins) Runoff control (diversion, check dams)
Erosion control blankets, Straw bale dike, Silt fence, Temporary swale
E&SC Example
1. Grassed diversion swale 2. Cut made for the building is stabilized 3. Clearing done only where necessary 4. Pond is constructed on the lower terrace 5. Bridge is built over No Name Brook 6. Grassed diversion swale above cut for the access road 7. Access road entrance is stabilized 8. Filter fence is constructed along the access road and parallel to Pine Creek
Agricultural Zoning
Exclusive Non-exclusive
Cluster/Conservation Zoning Conservation Easements/ Purchase of Development Rights Transfer of Development Sites Agricultural Districting Differential Use-Value Taxation
Land Evaluation (LE): rates soil capability for agriculture; groups soils into 10 categories rated 0-100 points
Site Assessment (SA): rates sites non-soil factors affecting suitability for agriculture; sum-of-weighted-factors totals 0-200 points
Uses of LESA
Evaluating rezoning requests for lands zoned for agriculture Impact assessment Prioritizing or qualifying sites for land conservation programs, e.g., Agricultural Districts, PDR, TDR, Conservation Easements
Critique of LESA
Pros
Considers soil and non-soil factors Flexible so communities can use own factors Sum-of-weighted-factors judgments made by local committee Relative value of soil factors (1/3) questioned Flexibility can lead to misuse County-specific factors/weights make it difficult to compare values between counties
Cons
Access to local food, organic food, groceries 18,000 community gardens in the U.S. 6,132 farmers markets up 16% since 2009 Composting gives back to the soil
Community Gardens