The soil boundary lines shown on soil maps can be related to local plat maps to identify the kinds of soil in given areas. Soil scientist have identified over 6,000 unique and distinctly different soils in Arizona. Each soil has unique physical and chemical properties. These properties interact. By studying the interaction, soil scientists and other professionals can predict how a soil will respond to specific land use and management.
Many people assume that soils are all more or less alike.
They are unaware that great differences in soil properties can occur within even short distances. Soils may be seasonally wet or subject to flooding . They may be shallow to bedrock . They may be too unstable to be used as a foundation for buildings or roads . Very clayey or wet soils are poorly suited to septic tank absorption fields .