The definition of a hydric soil is a soil that formed under conditions of saturation, flooding or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part. The concept of hydric soils includes soils developed under sufficiently wet conditions to support the growth and regeneration of hydrophytic vegetation. Soils that are sufficiently wet because of artificial measures are included in the concept of hydric soils. Also, soils in which the hydrology has been artificially modified are hydric if the soil, in an unaltered state, was hydric. Some series, designated as hydric, have phases that are not hydric depending on water table, flooding, and ponding characteristics.

Hydric soil lists have a number of agricultural and nonagricultural applications. These include assistance in land-use planning, conservation planning, and assessment of potential wildlife habitat. A combination of the hydric soil, hydrophytic vegetation, and hydrology criteria defines wetlands as described in the National Food Security Act Manual (Soil Conservation Service, 1994) and the Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual (Environmental Laboratory, 1987) which is currently being regionalized. Therefore, an area that meets the hydric soil criteria must also meet the hydrophytic vegetation and wetland hydrology criteria in order for it to be classified as a jurisdictional wetland.

Field Indicators must be used for on-site determinations of hydric soils.  Field Indicators are soil characteristics which are documented to be strictly associated only with hydric soils. Field Indicators are an efficient on-site means to confirm the presence of hydric soil. The Field Indicators are designed to identify soils which meet the hydric soil definition without further data collection. Some hydric soils exist for which no Field Indicators have yet been recorded and documented, and to identify these soils as hydric, evidence must be gathered to demonstrate that the definition is met. Additional Field Indicators are being developed and tested.

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Last Modified : 12/5/06
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