Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Question:
As a Soil Scientist-GIS Specialist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, it concerns me that the soils map available for downloading at http://www.ladpw.com/wrd/Publication/index.cfm, does not contain metadata, which could lead to misrepresentation of the data by end users. At least, a source for the data would be helpful and appreciated.

Russell Almaraz
USDA NRCS
Lancaster Service Center
russell.almaraz@ca.usda.gov

Answer:
The soils shape file is simply a tool to represent the spatial delineation of the various soil types in Los Angeles County. The soil numbers indicated are to be used in accordance with the 2006 Hydrology/Sedimentation Manual which clearly describes the application of the soil numbers as it applies to hydrology. There are runoff coefficient curves in the manual for each of the soil types which represent the soil infiltration characteristics from a study performed by the Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Works.

For additional information, please contact our Water Resources Division, between 7 AM and 5 PM, Monday through Thursday at (626) 458-6120.



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