description: Natural Resources Conservation Service, STATSGO metadata reports- "This data set is a digital general soil association map developed by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It consists of a broad based inventory of soils and nonsoil areas that occur in a repeatable pattern on the landscape and that can be cartographically shown at the scale mapped. The soil maps for STATSGO are compiled by generalizing more detailed soil survey maps. Where more detailed soil survey maps are not available, data on geology, topography, vegetation, and climate are assembled, together with Land Remote Sensing Satellite (LANDSAT) images. Soils of like areas are studied, and the probable classification and extent of the soils are determined."; abstract: Natural Resources Conservation Service, STATSGO metadata reports- "This data set is a digital general soil association map developed by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It consists of a broad based inventory of soils and nonsoil areas that occur in a repeatable pattern on the landscape and that can be cartographically shown at the scale mapped. The soil maps for STATSGO are compiled by generalizing more detailed soil survey maps. Where more detailed soil survey maps are not available, data on geology, topography, vegetation, and climate are assembled, together with Land Remote Sensing Satellite (LANDSAT) images. Soils of like areas are studied, and the probable classification and extent of the soils are determined."

Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, 2012 (1:12,000) - Shows the most detailed level of soil geographic data available and provides information about the kinds and distribution of soils on the landscape. Attributes include soil map-units ('MAPUNIT_NA'), hydric rating ('HYDCLPRS'), drainage class ('DRCLASSDCD'), potential erosion hazard ('FORPEHRTDC'), and more. Data were obtained by personnel of the Indiana Geological Survey (IGS) from personnel of the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). NOTE: This layer is based on data that were obtained from the NRCS in 20120111. However data and metadata for selected counties possibly have been revised by personnel of the NRCS. For the most current data, users should refer to the Indiana Soils Program Web page of the NRCS. The dataset consisting of georeferenced digital map data and computerized attributes extracted from SSURGO tabular data files that pertain specifically to soil moisture properties of the deepest soil horizon identified.

Prime farmland and Hydric soil percentages were calculated by summarizing the component table associated with each soil map unit featured. Shapefile features are soil map units, and can only give a percentage of prime farmland or hydric soils occuring within them. The actual boundary of specific prime farmland or hydric soils is NOT shown in the features. Natural Resources Conservation Service, STATSGO metadata reports- "This data set is a digital general soil association map developed by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It consists of a broad based inventory of soils and nonsoil areas that occur in a repeatable pattern on the landscape and that can be cartographically shown at the scale mapped. The soil maps for STATSGO are compiled by generalizing more detailed soil survey maps. Where more detailed soil survey maps are not available, data on geology, topography, vegetation, and climate are assembled, together with Land Remote Sensing Satellite (LANDSAT) images. Soils of like areas are studied, and the probable classification and extent of the soils are determined."

LAND_COVER_PRESETTLEMENT_IDNR_IN.SHP is a polygon shapefile showing generalized presettlement vegetation types of Indiana, circa 1820. The work was based on original land survey records and modern soil maps of counties in Indiana. The original published paper map from 1965 (Lindsey) provides five generalized classifications of vegetation types, and the article that contains the map offers descriptions for each classification:Classification Description------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------Quercus - Carya "Oak-Hickory" forest typeFagus - Acer "Beech-Maple" forest typeFagus - Quercus - Acer - Carya "Mixed" forest typeWetlands Wetlands, marshes, swamps, & bogs vegetation (including Wet Prairie)Dry Prairie Dry Prairie vegetation (tallgrass lands)

"Soil Formation and Soil Use in Relation to the Environment" is a database of soil characteristics that can be used with models to predict how soils will behave under a variety of soil uses. Its purpose is to determine the relationship of hydrology and geomorphology to soil chemical and physical properties for major soil landscapes of Indiana. Also to determine the characteristics and processes of formation of some "pan" soil layers that restrict root growth and water movement, such as plow pans, fragipans, and dense till horizons, and determine how they formed.

Collection Organization: Purdue University

Collection Methodology: This work emphasizes the study of soils in their natural environment. Soils sampled to represent a

sequence of soils in which the conditions for one soil formation factor varies and those for the other factors are held constant. For example, the hydrology of soil along a toposequence in which the hillslope position of the soils differ, but the parent material, vegetation, climate and time of soil formation remain constant was studied. Some properties measured periodically in the field using tensiometers, piezometers, infiltrometers, microelectrodes, and other instruments. Other properties measured in the laboratory using various chemical, physical and mineralogical techniques.

Collection Frequency: Ongoing.

Update Characteristics: Ongoing.

LANGUAGE:

English ACCESS/AVAILABILITY:

Data Center: Purdue University Dissemination Media: Hard copy Access Instructions: Contact the data center. Access Restrictions: None Availability Status: On Request

This resource is a compilation of Indiana Soil Monitoring Network daily observations for shallow soil temperatures for six sites: daily observations for two years at five sites and daily observations for one year at one site, with a total of 4,020 observations. The Excel workbook contains seven worksheets, one for each site and one for the dataset metadata. This resource was provided by the Indiana Geological Survey and made available for distribution through the National Geothermal Data System.

The 1994 State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) database for Indiana, obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), was used to create SOILS_STATSGO_SHRINK_SWELL_IN showing the shrink-swell characteristics of soils in Indiana.The most restrictive shrink-swell characteristic of the soil layer was used to represent the component soil. The component soil values were then assigned to a map unit based on the percentage of that component soil in the map unit. A category was calculated for the map unit based on the most restrictive category at the 70th percentile of the map unit.

This resource is a compilation of observations of Indiana Soil Monitoring Network Soil Physical Properties. Three samples were taken from each of six sites, for a total of 18 samples and analyses for texture, bulk density, and porosity. The Excel workbook contains four worksheets, one for each of the three parameters and one for dataset metadata. This resource was provided by the Indiana Geological Survey and made available for distribution through the National Geothermal Data System.

This resource is a data compilation of Indiana Soil Monitoring Network observation data for Soil Moisture Content over a two year period: daily observations for two years at five sites and for one year at one site, with a total of 4,020 observations. The Excel workbook contains seven worksheets, one for each site and one for dataset metadata. This resource was provided by the Indiana Geological Survey and made available for distribution through the National Geothermal Data System.

description: As part of the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting (LMDA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District (USACE-Chicago) uses Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) models to estimate runoff from the ungaged portion of the diverted Lake Michigan watershed. Simulation accuracy is evaluated at nine gaged watersheds in or adjacent to the diverted watershed. This data release consists of an Excel file containing 18 Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) attributes summarized using various aggregation methods for gaged and ungaged areas in the LMDA system. The gaged areas are comprised of the nine gaged watersheds used for HSPF model calibration and three gaged upstream basins. The ungaged areas are comprised of four sewered areas known as special contributing areas (SCAs) and two ungaged areas: the Lower Des Plaines River and the Calumet River. These data were derived from county-level SSURGO data for Illinois and Indiana.; abstract: As part of the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting (LMDA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District (USACE-Chicago) uses Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) models to estimate runoff from the ungaged portion of the diverted Lake Michigan watershed. Simulation accuracy is evaluated at nine gaged watersheds in or adjacent to the diverted watershed. This data release consists of an Excel file containing 18 Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) attributes summarized using various aggregation methods for gaged and ungaged areas in the LMDA system. The gaged areas are comprised of the nine gaged watersheds used for HSPF model calibration and three gaged upstream basins. The ungaged areas are comprised of four sewered areas known as special contributing areas (SCAs) and two ungaged areas: the Lower Des Plaines River and the Calumet River. These data were derived from county-level SSURGO data for Illinois and Indiana.

Web map containing environmental data including wetlands, soils and conservation districts. Environmental data features including Open Dumps - IGS IDEM OLG: 16 APR 2010, Solid Waster Site - IGS IDEM OLQ: 16 APR 2010, Industrial Waste Site - IGS IDEM OLQ: 16 APR 2010, originally created by Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and downloaded through the Indiana Map.Wetlands 2016 version 2 created by and sourced from US Fish and Wildlife. Data represents the national wetlands inventory.Soil Data sourced from SSURGO USDA 2015 soil report.Conservation Districts feature created and maintained internally by Porter County GIS staff. Porter County makes no warranty of completeness of accuracy for these data features. Data is provided 'as is' and is subject to continual update maintenance, revision and correction as needed. The burden for determining appropriateness for use rests solely on the user. This data does not represent a survey. No liability is assumed for this data.

SEISMIC_SHAKING_PREDICTED_RESPONSE_RP35_IN is a polygon shapefile that shows the distribution and classification of National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) soil types. This shapefile represents the first attempt to assign reasonable NEHRP soil classifications to the geologic materials throughout Indiana. The NEHRP soil classifications are based on geologic and engineering response to earthquake-induced ground shaking. NEHRP links the physical properties of soils, such as shear strength and effect on shear-wave velocity propagation, to ensure a uniform classification for nonlithified materials in the context of their performance when subjected to seismically induced ground shaking. Ranked A through F, the correct NEHRP soil class is best determined from the average shear-wave velocity of the soil column. Attributes include the following NEHRP soil classes (Hill and Foshee, 2008, Table 1, p. 5): A - Hard rock; average shear-wave velocity greater than 1,500 meters per second; amplification factor equal to 0.08. Note that Class A is not present in Indiana. B - Rock; average shear-wave velocity 760 to 1,500 meters per second; amplification factor equal to 1.0. C - Hard and (or) stiff to very stiff soils, including most gravel; average shear-wave velocity 360 to 760 meters per second; amplification factor equal to 1.1 to 1.2. D - Sands, silts, and (or) stiff to very stiff clays, and some gravel; average shear-wave velocity 180 to 360 meters per second; amplification factor equal to 1.2 to 1.6. E - Small to moderate thickness (10 to 50 feet), soft to medium-stiff clay, plasticity index greater than 20, moisture greater than 40 percent; average shear-wave velocity is less than 180 meters per second; amplification factor equal to 1.2 to 2.5. F - Soils vulnerable to potential failure or collapse under seismic loading, including liquifiable soils, quick and sensitive clays, and collapsible, weakly cemented soils; average shear-wave velocity is not applicable; amplification factor is not applicable. The following is excerpted from Indiana Geological Survey Report of Progress 35: "The distribution and classification of soil types are essential to understanding the response of geologic materials to ground shaking induced by earthquakes. Thirty-seven shear-wave velocities were measured in soft sediments at various localities throughout Indiana, twenty-eight sites of which were measured using downhole methods in freshly augered and cased wells. Purdue University provided eight additional shear-wave profiles from eight sites in their Agricultural Centers; also included is a profile from one other site in Vanderburgh County. These data, coupled with the thickness of the unconsolidated materials, were used to determine the potential amplification of earthquake-induced ground shaking. This report begins the process of defining the response of geologic materials to ground shaking induced by an earthquake having an epicenter within Indiana or nearby states. It is intended to be a tool to enhance the performance of the computer program HAZUS, developed by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to model the effects of earthquakes and to assess damage scenarios. "Plate 1 of this report, a map of Indiana at a scale of 1:500,000 showing the predicted response of geologic materials to seismically induced ground shaking, is intended only for regional planning purposes and is not a substitute for on-site shear-wave measurements and geotechnical data. Continued field work is anticipated, the results of which will enhance the accuracy and value of the map."

Historically, closed eastern forests transitioned into open savannas and prairies in the US Midwest, but this transition is poorly understood. To investigate the eastern boundary of the prairie-forest ecotone, we conducted a case study of historic and modern vegetation patterns of the Yellow River watershed in northwest Indiana. Historic vegetation came from the Public Land Survey notes collected in the early 1800s, whereas modern vegetation came from the Forest Inventory Analysis and USGS National Land Cover Database. We mapped historical survey vegetation data using GIS to reconstruct the region’s past and current forest composition and structure. We also mapped climate, topography and soil composition across the watershed to investigate the relationship between historic vegetation and environmental gradients. We found a sharp transition in the pre-settlement forest structure and composition, with dense deciduous forests in the eastern portion of our study area and open oak savannas in the west. The savanna ecosystem dominated in sandy, well-drained soils and was at a slightly lower elevation than the adjacent closed forest. Modest environmental changes accompanied major vegetation changes in the past, which might suggest that fire and hydrological patterns helped maintain the sharp ecotone. By contrast, the modern forest shows no difference in tree density and composition across the watershed, which is consistent with major land use and hydrology changes in the watershed since settlement. On the modern landscape, land that was historically closed forest now has higher agricultural productivity compared to land that was historically savanna, whereas the historic savanna currently supports more mesic forest. These results suggest that the environmental gradient continues to subtly shape the landscape. Though land use change has largely removed the closed mixed hardwood and oak savannas from this area, a better understanding of the historic vegetation and the conditions that supported it can help inform land management and restoration, as well as reveal ecological processes that drive vegetation transitions.This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant #DEB-1241874

IDEM encourages the beneficial reuse of biosolids, industrial waste products, and pollutant-bearing water by land application in a manner that protects human health and the environment. Land application involves spraying or spreading these materials onto the land surface or injecting or incorporating them into the soil. Reuse of these waste products as a soil amendment and/or fertilizer provides many benefits to Indiana’s agricultural community and citizens. For more information, visit IDEM: Managing Waste: Land Application.

This resource provides access to the data for the manuscript titled, "Assessing the impact of intrinsic spatial scales for application of integrated hydrologic-hydraulic models in large watersheds" by Saksena, Merwade and Singhofen.

A rain garden and other stormwater control measures (SCM) were installed at Gary City Hall in Gary, Indiana to retain water, increase infiltration and divert stormwater from city sewers. These input data were collected from a rain gage ((USGS site 413611087201301, City Hall Weather Station at Gary, IN.) and five monitoring wells with installed pressure transducers at different locations (see site description). The Episodic Master Recession (EMR) method is applied using these data as the singular input to estimate the amount of groundwater recharge at each of the five sites during the indicated period of time. References cited: Heppner, C.S., and Nimmo, J.R., 2005, A computer program for predicting recharge with a master recession curve: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005–5172, 10 p., [Also available at https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2005/5172/]. Nimmo, J.R., Horowitz, C., and Mitchell, L., 2015, Discrete-storm water-table fluctuation method to estimate episodic recharge: Groundwater, v.53, no. 2, https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.12177. Lampe, D.C., Bayless, E.R., and Follette, D.D., 2022, Stormwater reduction and water budget for a rain garden on sandy soil, Gary, Indiana, 2016–18: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2022–5101, 39 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20225101.

EARTHQUAKE_LIQUEFACTION_POTENTIAL_MM81_IN is a polygon shapefile that shows highly generalized categories (low, moderate, and high) of liquefaction potential, based on soil classes of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). Low liquefaction potential includes NEHRP Soil Class B (consisting of rock: sandstone, limestone, shale). Moderate liquefaction potential includes NEHRP Soil Class C (hard or stiff soil, or gravel) and part of NEHRP Soil Class D (stiff soil, stiff clay, and some gravel). High liquefaction potential includes parts of NEHRP Soil Class D (stiff soil, stiff clay, and some gravel), and all of NEHRP Soil Class E (soft soil and soft to medium clay) and F (lake and river deposits of sand and mud). The following is excerpted from Indiana Geological Survey Miscellaneous Map 81: "Liquefaction is a common ground-failure hazard associated with earthquakes. It is defined as the sudden and temporary loss of strength of a water-saturated sediment. This could result in the structural failure of buildings, bridges, and other structures."

This project explores environmental differences in site distribution between the Late Archaic and Early Woodland periods in LaPorte and St. Joseph Counties of Indiana. Comprehensive maps of sites were created using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (with layers displaying topography, satellite imagery, soil type and quality, and drainage patterns) to analyze trends in settlement pattern. Individual sites were examined through surface surveys to determine what features of the environment seemed to be selected for settlement and if those chosen features differed between the Late Archaic and Early Woodland and among different site types. Topography, soil type, and hydrologic data, including drainage patterns and proximity to nearest water source, were the main ways of characterizing local environments in this survey, since vegetation has since been heavily altered with large-scale farming. Although the sites were located in a variety of areas, the nearest high point relative to a water body or an area slightly higher than the surrounding area were frequently observed site characteristics. Synthesizing this information into easily accessible maps with different map layers for different environmental considerations (elevation, drainage, soil quality, etc.) is significant because it allows the data for this time period and region to be compared to other areas and thus helps suggest larger regional trends in settlement patterns. Future potential research directions include comparing the settlement patterns in this study area in Northern Indiana to other regions or comparing the settlement patterns in this study time period to earlier or later time periods.

A data delivery application that provides web-based access to of soil, water, climate, land management, and geospatial data produced by Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) watershed research sites across the United States. Data access via ArcGIS Server and MS SQL Server Enhanced data searches and summary options in Tools Access to high-resolution imagery in the Map>Table of Contents Enhanced graphing options on the Get Data page Transparency sliders for individual map components in the Map>Table of Contents Resources in this dataset:Resource Title: STEWARDS - A data delivery application for the USDA/ARS Conservation Effects Assessment Project. File Name: Web Page, url: https://www.nrrig.mwa.ars.usda.gov/stewards/stewards.html

description: EARTHQUAKE_LIQUEFACTION_POTENTIAL_MM81_IN is a polygon shapefile that shows highly generalized categories (low, moderate, and high) of liquefaction potential, based on soil classes of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). Low liquefaction potential includes NEHRP Soil Class B (consisting of rock: sandstone, limestone, shale). Moderate liquefaction potential includes NEHRP Soil Class C (hard or stiff soil, or gravel) and part of NEHRP Soil Class D (stiff soil, stiff clay, and some gravel). High liquefaction potential includes parts of NEHRP Soil Class D (stiff soil, stiff clay, and some gravel), and all of NEHRP Soil Class E (soft soil and soft to medium clay) and F (lake and river deposits of sand and mud). The following is excerpted from Indiana Geological Survey Miscellaneous Map 81: "Liquefaction is a common ground-failure hazard associated with earthquakes. It is defined as the sudden and temporary loss of strength of a water-saturated sediment. This could result in the structural failure of buildings, bridges, and other structures."; abstract: EARTHQUAKE_LIQUEFACTION_POTENTIAL_MM81_IN is a polygon shapefile that shows highly generalized categories (low, moderate, and high) of liquefaction potential, based on soil classes of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). Low liquefaction potential includes NEHRP Soil Class B (consisting of rock: sandstone, limestone, shale). Moderate liquefaction potential includes NEHRP Soil Class C (hard or stiff soil, or gravel) and part of NEHRP Soil Class D (stiff soil, stiff clay, and some gravel). High liquefaction potential includes parts of NEHRP Soil Class D (stiff soil, stiff clay, and some gravel), and all of NEHRP Soil Class E (soft soil and soft to medium clay) and F (lake and river deposits of sand and mud). The following is excerpted from Indiana Geological Survey Miscellaneous Map 81: "Liquefaction is a common ground-failure hazard associated with earthquakes. It is defined as the sudden and temporary loss of strength of a water-saturated sediment. This could result in the structural failure of buildings, bridges, and other structures."