1. Lenore Matula Vasilas Soil Scientist NRCS Soil Survey Division
Hydric Soil AND THE FARM BILL Use of the Definition, Criteria, Field Indicators and Technical standard
Lenore Matula Vasilas
Soil Scientist
NRCS
Soil Survey Division

2. Not Covered Hydrophytic vegetation and wetland hydrology factors
Mapping conventions
Legislative issues other than those specifically related to hydric soils

3. National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils
7 CFR Part NRCS responsibilities regarding wetlands.
(a) Technical and coordination responsibilities. In carrying out the provisions of this part, NRCS shall:
(1) Oversee the development and application of criteria to identify hydric soils in consultation with the National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils and make available to the public an approved county list of hydric soil map units, which is based upon the National List of Hydric Soils;…

4. National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils
NRCS
Chris Smith, NHQ, chair
Shawn Finn, MA
Steve Lawrence, GA
Aaron Miller, NM
Steve Monteith, NSSC
Paul Rodrigue, MS
Lenore Vasilas, NHQ
USACE
Chris Noble
USEPA
Ralph Spagnolo
USFS
Vacant
BLM
Robert Boyd
USFWS
Jim Dick
University
Richard Griffin, Prairie View
Wade Hurt, Univ. of FL
Chien-Lu Ping, Univ of AK
Mike Vepraskas, NCSU

5. Delineation Methodology for FSA
The Corps of Engineers Wetland Determination and Delineation Manual and Regional Supplements with Variances
NRCS relies more often on off-site determinations (hydric soils list and soil survey maps)
Soils information written in consultation with NTCHS
Supplements adopted NTCHS Field Indicators
Supplements adopted 14 day hydrology requirement
Hydric soils definition wording differences
Soon to be updated manual will eliminate many method inconsistencies between CWA and FSA and, therefore, eliminate many of the current variances

6. Hydric Soil Identification

7. To be considered a hydric soil the soil must meet__________
The hydric soils definition.
The characteristics of a map unit component on the hydric soil list
A field indicator of hydric soils
The technical standard.
Any of the above.
All the above.

8. To be considered a hydric soil the soil must meet__________
The hydric soils definition.
The characteristics of a map unit component on the hydric soil list
A field indicator of hydric soils
The technical standard.
Any of the above.
All the above.

9. Hydric Soils All hydric soils must meet the definition.
There are several ways to approach and / or verify the definition.

10. Hydric Soils Definitions
Food Security Act
a soil that, in its undrained condition, is saturated, flooded, or ponded long enough during the growing season to develop an anaerobic condition that supports the growth and regeneration of hydrophytic vegetation [16 U.S.C. 3801(a)(12)].
NTCHS
a soil that formed under conditions of saturation, flooding, or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part (Federal Register, 1994)

11. Determining You Meet the Definition
Map unit component listed as hydric on the Hydric Soils List
Meets at least one of the Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States
Has the characteristics of a problematic hydric soil and the site has been proven to also meet hydrophytic vegetation and wetland hydrology factors
Meets the Hydric Soil Technical Standard

12. Hydric Soils Lists

13. Original Database Selection Criteria for the National List of Hydric Soils
Originally a list of soil series
Original criteria required a water table and water table data
Original list was queried from old SSSD database and not NASIS
State and Survey Area lists were lists of map units and different than the National List
Original state and county list had to be significantly hand edited by states

14. Current National Hydric Soil List
area symbol
area name
map unit sequence
map unit symbol
map unit name
component name and phase
component percent
landforms
hydric rating
IA067
Floyd County, Iowa 3 43
Bremer silty clay loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes
Bremer
100
Stream terraces
Yes 9 84
Clyde silty clay loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes
Clyde 85
Interfluves
Maxfield 2
Flats
Marshan, 32 to 40 inches to sand and gravel
River valleys 10 88
Nevin silt clay loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes 5 11 96
Turlin loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes
Coland, occasionally flooded
Flood plains 14
135
Coland clay loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes 95

15. Changes to Criteria for Populating the National List
Federal Register Vol. 77, No. 40 Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Based on deliberations of the NTCHS
30 day public comment period
Fixed issues related to changes in database and changes to format (list of series vs. list of map units)
Biggest issue was water table requirement in old criteria but not in definition of hydric soil

16. Same Soil Series but Possibly Different Map Units
Drained vs. Undrained
Same Soil Series but Possibly Different Map Units

17. New Criteria
(1) All Histels except Folistels and Histosols except Folists; or
(2) Map unit components in Aquic suborders, great groups, or subgroups, Albolls suborder, Historthels great group, Histoturbels great group, or Andic, Cumulic, Pachic, or Vitrandic subgroups that:
(a) Based on the range of characteristics for the soil series, will at least in part meet one or more Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States, or
(b) Show evidence that the soil meets the definition of a hydric soil;
(3) Map unit components that are frequently ponded for long duration or very long duration during the growing season that:
(b) Show evidence that the soil meets the definition of a hydric soil; or
(4) Map unit components that are frequently flooded for long duration or very long duration during the growing season that:
(b) Show evidence that the soils meet the definition of a hydric soil.

18. Where to Find Hydric Soils List?
The National List of Hydric Soils can be found on the NTCHS website (
National Coverage
Updated yearly
Local List of Hydric Soils can be found on Soil Data Mart or Web Soil Survey (
Soil Data Mart data grouped by Survey Area
Web Soil Survey has size limit
Updated as official data is updated

19. When to use the Hydric Soils Lists?
General planning
Preliminary data gathering
Along with other info for off-site determinations
Identification of potential WRP sites

20. Working on New Report in NASIS
Hydric
All major and minor components are hydric
Predominantly Hydric
All major components are hydric but some minor components non-hydric
Partially Hydric
Complex with at least one major component hydric and one major component non-hydric
Predominantly Non-hydric
All major components non-hydric and at least one minor component hydric
Non-Hydric
All major and minor components non-hydric

21. Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States

22. Field Indicators
Field indicators are soil morphological features used to identify hydric soils
The features result from soil genesis in the presence of “anaerobic conditions”
They are used for on-site verification

23. Development of Field Indicators
Continuous process
On-going since mid-80’s
Inter-agency
Including universities, private sector, federal, state, and local agencies
Multi-disciplinary
Soil scientists, hydrologists, botanists

24. Hydromorphic Processes
Reduction, translocation, and precipitation of iron and manganese
Accumulation and differential translocation of organic matter
Reduction of sulfur

25. Hydric Soil Indicators
Indicators are not intended to replace or relieve the requirements contained in the Hydric Soil Definition
Indicators are used to identify the hydric soil component of wetlands; however, there are some hydric soils that lack one of the currently listed indicators

26. Important Concepts

27. Proof positive If it meets a Field Indicator it is a hydric soil
If it does not meet a Field Indicator it may still be a hydric soil if it meets the definition of a hydric soil

28. Three Major Divisions All soils Sandy soils Loamy soils
Use regardless of texture
Mostly organic based indicators
Sandy soils
Loamy soils
Use sandy indicators in sandy layers, and loamy indicators in loamy layers

29. Rules for Field Indicator Use
A chroma of 2 or less means that the chroma cannot be higher than 2
Values should be rounded to the nearest color chip
Except for F8, F12, F19, F20 and F21 all mineral Field Indicators must have less then 15 cm (6 in) of a chroma > 2 above the indicator.

30. Soil Surface
In al LRRs, for Field Indicators A1, A2, and A3 begin measurements at the actual soil surface.
In LRRs R, W, X, and Y, all other observations begin at the top of the mineral surface.
In LRRs F, G, H, and M, we begin our observations at the actual soil surface if the soil is sandy and for all other observations at the muck or mineral surface
For all other LRRs we begin all other observations at the muck or mineral surface.

31. Combining Indicators
It is permissible to combine certain hydric soil indicators if all requirements of the indicators are met except thickness
The most restrictive requirement for thickness of layers must be met

32. Example of a Soil That is Hydric Based on a Combination of Indicators
3-6 inches meets F6 Redox Dark Surface, but thickness requirement is 4 inches
6 to 10 inches meets F3 Depleted Matrix requirements, but thickness requirement is 6 inches
Add the 3-6 inch and 6 to 10 inch layer thicknesses together to get 7 inches which is thicker than the most restrictive requirement of 6 inches

33. Example of a Soil That is Hydric Based on a Combination of Indicators
0 to 3 inches meets F6 Redox Dark Surface, but thickness requirement is 4 inches
3 to 6 inches meets S5 Sandy Redox, but thickness requirement is also 4 inches
Combine the thickness of the 2 layers to get 6 inches

34. Key to Soils that Lack Field Indicators
Dig a hole to 6 in.
Do organic soil materials or mucky modified layers exist?
Does chroma ≤ 2 exist?
Are there any distinct or prominent redox concentrations as soft masses or pore linings?
Is there a hydrogen sulfide odor?
Are you in a depression, on a floodplain, in red parent material or within 200 m of an estuarine marsh and 1 m of mean high water?
If answer is no to all questions, the soil will not meet an indicator.

35. New and Often Overlooked Indicators

36. Loamy Depressions F8. Redox Depressions
In CD’s subj. to ponding, 5% or more redox conc. in a layer 2 cm or more thick entirely within upper 15 cm.
F8 has no matrix color requirement.
Photo is from a vernal pool in California, meets both F8 and F9. These features would also qualify as oxidized rhizospheres (a secondary hydrology indicator) because they are “adjacent” to living roots.

37. F19. Piedmont Floodplain Soils
Chroma less than 4 and 20 percent or more redox concentrations

38. F20. Anomalous Bright Loamy Soils
Within 200 m of estuarine marshes or waters and within 1 m of mean high water
Chroma less than 5 and 10 percent redox concentrations

39. Red Parent Material
F3. Depleted Matrix
F21. RED Parent Material

40. Technical Standard

41. Technical Standard for Hydric Soils Requirements
Saturated, Ponded, or Flooded conditions
Water table measurements
Well and piezometers
Reducing Conditions
Redox potential measurements
Reduced Iron (Fe II) measurements
Alpha-Alpha Dipyridyl
IRIS tubes
In-situ pH measurements
On-site precipitation data
Replicates

42. NTCHS Web Site Updates
I am in the process of updating to delete obsolete tech. notes and provide more complete and up-to-date info on hydric soil issues. If there is any info you would like to see on the page let me know.

43. National Hydric Soil Projects
National Wetland Condition Assessment
EPA
Potential Wetland Landscapes Map based on gridded SSURGO
Association of State Wetland Managers Wetland Mapping Consortium

44. NRCS Training Opportunities on Hydric Soils
NEDC Courses
Advanced Hydric Soils – Meridian, MS August 20 – 25th, 2012
SSSA Hydric Soils Field Tour
Cincinnati, OH, Saturday, October 20, 2012

45. Questions???????