Soil surveying and land capability assessment
Verterra has an unparalleled capacity for evaluation, survey and assessment of soils, and integration of this information into land capability assessment and recommendations for management. We can provide the services of four Certified Practicing Soil Scientists, and other staff with many years of experience in practical land capability and soils assessment. All our soil staff have considerable experience in feasibility studies for irrigation developments.
Our Certified Practicing Soil Scientists undertake detailed site evaluation and soil pit sampling according to recognised national standards and guidelines for land resource and land suitability assessment. Soil types are mapped according to the Australian Soils Classification, plus functional characteristics important for sustainable irrigated development. Detailed chemical and physical analysis of soil profiles is undertaken using NATA accredited laboratories to further characterise soils and provide inputs to modelling, characterise their behaviour under irrigation and underpin approaches to any recommended amelioration and management.
Our Quality Assurance System includes a number of Safe Working Procedures and Work Instructions for soil surveying and land assessment including:
- Machine based excavation for soil sampling
- Soil corer based excavation for soil sampling
- Detailed soil profile characterisation Work Instruction
- Mapping Observation Pit Work Instruction
- Electro-magnetic Survey Work Instruction
- Land Assessment
- Soil Lab Analysis
- Site Surveying and Mapping
- Land assessment quality control procedure
- Associated forms including:
- Detailed and Mapping Observation Soil Pit characterisation
- Soil pit form parameter codes
- Chain of custody forms
- EM Survey checklist
- EM Survey fundamental data set
- Erosion survey form
- Substrate/regolith characterisation form
We have undertaken numerous detailed land capability assessments, particularly for coal seam gas water irrigation development projects, including the impacts of irrigation on surface and groundwater resources for major Coal Seam companies. This has included significant soil and irrigation process modelling this work has supported major land-use decisions by our clients, and underpinned both applications and conditions on beneficial use licence agreements for irrigated use of coal seam gas water.
Download our capability statement:
