Nushagak-Mulchatna Soil Survey

The NRCS and the Nushagak-Mulchatna Watershed Council are four years into a partnership, producing soil survey coverage for the Nushagak-Mulchatna Watershed. Landowners and managers of both private and government land, are invited to join as cooperators. A soil survey produces maps and descriptions of the soil landscape, fundamental information for those seeking to understand and work effectively with hydrology, engineering, habitat, and ecology. No lands will be accessed without permission of the land owner or manager. Updates on the progress of the Nushagak-Mulchatna soil survey will be posted to this site on a regular basis. This includes information on areas completed, preliminary products available, and schedules and locations of future field work. Field work is scheduled to be concluded in 2011 and the completed soil survey is scheduled to be available in 2012.

Ekuk-Clark's Point Area Information

A map, map unit legend, and soil component information for the Ekuk-Clark's Point area is available here.

Ekwok Area Information

A map, map unit legend, and soil component information for the Ekwok area is available here. 

Photos of various soil types at Ekwok can be viewed here and photos of vegetation and landforms at Ekwok can be viewed here.

2009 Activities

During the summer of 2009 the Homer soil survey crew collected soils and vegetation data for 1:500,000 scale mapping in the northern half of the Nushagak-Mulchatna Watershed. The reconnaissance level mapping is now 90 percent complete for the watershed. The crew also mapped approximately 30 miles along the Nushagak River between Ekwok and Portage Creek at 1:63,000. In addition, mapping is now in progress for the village of New Stuyahok (to be completed in 2010) and complete for the village of Koliganek.

Below is a map showing the current field data collection status for the survey.

2008 Activities

During the summer of 2008 the Homer soil survey crew mapped areas in the central and western parts of the Nushagak-Mulchatna Watershed at a scale of 1:500,000 (see purple are on map below). The crew collected data for the 1:63,000 scale mapping along 40 miles of the Nushagak River north of New Stuyahok. They also ampped the village of Portage Creek and about 85 percent of Koliganek at a detailed level (1:25,000).

Nushagak Soil Survey Progress as of the Fall of 2008.

2007 Activities

The Homer soil survey crew collected soil and vegetation data this summer for over 2.4 million acres of the Nushagak-Mulchatna Watershed. Most of this area belongs to the Bristol Bay Lowlands Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) and will be mapped at a scale of 1:500,000. The crew spent the month of September collecting data around the City of Dillingham. Approximately two-thirds of Dillingham was mapped during this time at the scale of 1:25,000. Also in September the crew traveled to the villages of Ekuk and Clarks Point to complete data collection for the soil survey in those areas. These will also be mapped at 1:25,000. The project leader met with Ekwok community members at the end of the summer to present draft copies of the maps produced from the 2006 field work and to discuss how that information can be used. Click on the image below to view an illustration of the 2007 field work.

2006 Activity

As NRCS wound down other survey projects, they were able to launch the Nushagak-Mulchatna project at the Village of Ekwok.  In July and August a small, active crew described 27 different kinds of soil in and around Ekwok. Data includes information about soils, landforms, and the vegetative cover; and maps and reports of the findings. For information on preliminary work, contact Stephanie Schmit, soil survey project leader. 

More information regarding this survey and the criteria for different levels of mapping intensities can be found in the following documents:

These documents require Adobe Acrobat

Information Brochure (PDF; 963 KB)
Information on different levels of mapping intensity (PDF; 411 KB)

Contacts

Nushagak-Mulchatna Watershed Council
Sue Flensburg
Environmental Program Manager
Bristol Bay Native Association
Box 310
Dillingham, AK 99576
Phone: (907) 842-5257   Fax: (907) 842-5932
Email: sflensburg@bbna.com
Web site: http://www.bbna.com/

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Joe Moore
State Soil Scientist
USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
800 W. Evergreen St., Suite 100
Palmer, AK, 99645
Phone (907) 761-7759    Fax (907) 761-7790
Email: Joseph.Moore@ak.usda.gov
Web site: http://www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov

Stephanie Schmit
Soil Scientist\Project Leader
USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
4014 Lake St., Suite 201
P.O. Box 400
Homer, AK  99603-0400
Phone (907) 235-8177 ext. 104   Fax: (907) 235-2364
Email: Stephanie.Schmit@ak.usda.gov
 

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