Soil Survey polygons contain soils spatial and attribute information utilized by the Ministry of Environment online Soil Information Finder Tool ([SIFT](http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/land/soil-information-finder)). The information pertains to soil survey data in the Province of British Columbia, as well as links to a variety of reports and maps. Polygons related to soil surveys can be made up of a complex of up to 3 components representing 3 different soil types. These components are aspatial and represent the amount in the polygon indicated by the PERCENT_x field for the component x. Each unique soil type has a soil name and generalized attributes such as drainage, texture and coarse fragment percent. The [Soil Name and Layer Files](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/a3bc4cd3-0f1b-4a2f-bd88-76f821756d10) can be joined and related to each of the 3 components of the Soil Survey Spatial View polygons using the SoilSymbol field in the name and layer tables and the `SOILSYM_x` fields in the Soil Survey Spatial View.

Soil Survey (SL) Project Boundaries (STE_SOIL_PROJ_BOUNDARIES_SVW) contain boundaries (study areas) and attributes describing each SL project (project level metadata), and includes links to the locations of other data associated with the project (e.g., soil survey reports, polygon datasets, plotfiles, scanned maps, legends). This layer is derived from the [STE_TEI_PROJECT_BOUNDARIES_SP](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/1313fac7-2ea1-4c6b-995b-bd421b7ec3c6) layer by filtering on the PROJECT_TYPE attribute. Project types include: SOIL, TIMSOI, and SOILSW. SL Project Boundaries should be used in conjunction with [Soil Name and Layer Files](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/soil-name-and-layer-files) and [Soil Survey Polygons](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/soil-survey-spatial-view) which divide the landscape into units according to soil association, name, type, drainage, parent material, and texture. Soil datasets and resources can also be accessed through the [Soil Mapping Data Packages](http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/esd/distdata/ecosystems/Soil_Data/Soil_Data_Pkgs/) or the interactive mapping application [Soil Information Finder Tool](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/land/soil/soil-information-finder). **Current version**: v12 (2026-06-22)

These Soil Mapping Data Packages include 1. a Soil Map dataset which includes the equivalents to [Soil Project Boundaries](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/soil-mapping-soil-project-boundaries), [Soil Survey Spatial View](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/soil-survey-spatial-view) mapping polygons with attributes from the [Soil Name and Layer Files](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/soil-name-and-layer-files), plus + A Soil Site dataset which includes soil pit site information and detailed soil pit descriptions and any associated lab analyses, and + The Soil Data Dictionary which documents the fields and allowable codes within the data. The Soil Map geodatabase contains the 'best available' data ranging from 1:20,000 scale to 1:250,000 scale with overlapping data removed. The choice of the datasets that remain is based on connectivity to the soil attributes (soil name and layer files), map scale and survey date. (Note: the BC Soil Landscapes of Canada (BCSLC) 1:1,000,000 data has not been included in the Soil_Map or SIFT, but is available from: [CANSIS](http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/nsdb/slc/index.html). (A complete soils data package with overlapping soil survey mapping and BCSLC is available on [request](mailto:TEI_Mail@gov.bc.ca). Note that the soil survey data with attributes can also be viewed interactively in the [Soil Information Finder Tool](The Soil Map dataset is also available for interactive map viewing or as KMZs from the [Soil Information Finder Tool website](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/land/soil-information-finder).

The Prince Edward Island Detailed Soil Survey is a dataset series describing the spatial distribution of soils and associated landscapes in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. Soil landscape information compiled and published over the previous several decades provided the basis for the development of this relational database. The graphic soil landscape polygons are intended to be represented at a scale of 1:75,000. The associated soil landscape information and soil characteristics are described in a standard format in the Component (CMP), Soil Name File (SNF) and Soil Layer File (SLF) tables.

The “Soil Landscapes of Canada V.2.2/V.3.1 - Soil Order” displays the highest (most general) level of soil classification. Within the Canadian System of Soil Classification there are ten recognized soil orders (Soil Classification Working Group 1998). This system is hierarchical (from general to specific). Soil orders are further subdivided to great groups, subgroups, families, and series.

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Soil Development by Ecoprovince” dataset contains tables that provide soil development information for components within the ecoprovince framework polygon. It provides soil development codes and their English and French-language descriptions as well as the percentage of the polygon that the component occupies. The soil development descriptions are based on the second edition of the Canadian System of Soil Classification (Agriculture Canada Expert Committee on Soil Survey, 1987).

This map illustrates the distribution of soil parent material textures in the agricultural region of Alberta. Soil texture is defined by the relative proportions of the sand, silt and clay particles present. Soil textures are identified by classes using the Soil Texture Triangle illustrated below. The Soil Texture Triangle identifies the textural class of a soil at the intersection of the percent sand (x-axis) and the percent clay (y-axis). The percent silt of the soil is the remainder to add up to 100 percent. This resource was created in 2002 using ArcGIS.

Get consolidated soil data mapped on a county basis in a digitally stitched and standardized product. This soil survey data was mapped by a number of soil surveyors from the 1920s to the 1990s. The product incorporates soil information from a variety of map scales. The project has brought the individual county or regional municipality surveys together to reveal inconsistencies in soil data across county boundaries. The soil complex database contains other descriptive information including: * slope class * Canada Land Inventory (CLI) ranking * stoniness * drainage class * texture

Predicted Soil Great Group class as defined by the The Canadian System of Soil Classification (third edition).

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Soil Development by Ecoregion” dataset contains tables that provide soil development information for components within the ecoregion framework polygon. It provides soil development codes and their English and French-language descriptions as well as the percentage of the polygon that the component occupies. The soil development descriptions are based on the second edition of the Canadian System of Soil Classification (Agriculture Canada Expert Committee on Soil Survey, 1987).