Utah Envirothon

Learning Objectives

Recognize soil as an important resource.
Describe basic soil properties and formation factors.
Understand soil drainage classes and know how wetlands are defined.
Determine basic soil properties and limitations, such as mottling and permeability, by observing a soil pit or soil profile.
Identify types of soil erosion and discuss methods for reducing erosion.
Utilize soil information, including soil surveys, in land-use planning.
Discuss how soil is a factor in, or impacted by non-point source pollution.

Resources
Following is a list of suggested web sites

	•	NRCS
	•	Soil Quality Institute
	•	Dirt: Secrets in the Soil
	•	National Science & Technology Center
	•	Soil & Water Conservation Society
	•	Conservation Technology Information Center
	•	NASA Lab for Terrestrial Physics
	•	Soil Texture by Feel Flow Chart

Following is a list of suggested reference materials

	•	Soil surveys for your area are available at your local NRCS office.
	•	Soil Erosion by Wind, USDA-NRCS, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 555
	•	Soil Erosion by Water, USDA-NRCS, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 531
	•	Conserving Soil, available from NACD, reprinted with permission of the NRCS
	•	County Soil Survey Reports - USDA-NRCS (Available from many of Utah's NRCS field offices)
	•	Utah Science, Vol. 59, No. 1, Fall 1998, Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4845, available on-line. Click on Vol. 58.4 98.
	•	Soil Biology Primer, USDA-NRCS, Bulletin PA-1637, or pick up a copy at your local NRCS office.