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Soil analysis is an essential part of environmental science, providing key insights into land composition, hydrology, and ecological health. In this installment of our "Field Notes" blog series, where we explore essential tools used by Princeton Hydro’s team, we take a deep dive into the Munsell Soil Color Chart—a standardized system that allows professionals to classify and communicate soil characteristics with accuracy. This tool is particularly useful in wetland delineations, where soil color helps determine whether an area meets the criteria for wetland classification.
What if the ground beneath your feet could tell a story? Soil isn’t just dirt; it’s a dynamic, living record of the landscape’s history, composition, and ability to sustain life. One of the most revealing clues in soil analysis is color, which reflects key properties such as drainage, organic matter content, and oxidation levels.
One key application of the Munsell Soil Color Chart is in wetland delineation, a process that determines whether a particular area meets the hydrologic, vegetative, and soil criteria for wetland classification. Soil scientists use an auger to extract a sample from the ground, where the first 6 to 12 inches, also known as the upper part, of the soil profile is the most important for determining whether the soils are hydric.
Hydric soils are defined as those that form under conditions of saturation, flooding, or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part of the soil. The landscape of the site also plays a crucial role in hydric soil development. Factors such as hydrology, slope, landform, soil materials, and vegetation influence how these conditions emerge. These environmental factors trigger biogeochemical processes that lead to the development of distinct hydric soil indicators, including:
Once a scientist identifies a hydric soil, they refer to the Munsell Soil Color Chart to classify its matrix color and any hydric soil indicators present. This classification helps determine whether the area qualifies as a wetland under regulatory guidelines.
Before conducting a wetland delineation, Princeton Hydro Environmental Scientist Ivy Babson, PWS, first determines which United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Wetland Delineation Region her site is located in—an essential step for ensuring proper classification. For a recent wetland delineation, Ivy identified her site as being within the Northcentral and Northeast Region and conducted pre-delineation research, which revealed that the area was characterized by shallow bedrock and exposed boulders.
Upon arriving at the site, Ivy observed that the wetland had formed within an old basin. The sloped basin floor supported hydrophytic vegetation, including cattails, sedges, and rushes, with visible drainage patterns and hummock-hollow microtopography indicating prolonged wet conditions.
Once Ivy selected a suitable location for a soil boring, she used a Dutch auger to extract a soil sample. The first 6 inches of the profile revealed very dark mineral soils with a high amount of decomposed organic material. Using the Munsell Soil Color Chart, she classified the sample as 10YR 2/1—a black, saturated mucky loam.
She also identified strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redoximorphic features along plant root pore linings, indicating iron reduction due to prolonged saturation:
The next six inches of soil maintained a similar composition before transitioning at nine inches to a gray clay layer (10YR 5/1) with many yellowish-brown (10YR 5/6) redoximorphic features occurring as reduced iron soft masses, another clear indicator of prolonged saturation:
By 15 inches, Ivy hit bedrock, confirming that groundwater was perched above the rock layer, creating the saturated conditions necessary for hydric soil development.
To determine whether the site met wetland criteria, Ivy referred to the USACE’s Regional Supplement to the Wetland Delineation Manual, which provides region-specific hydric soil indicators. She identified several key indicators in her soil profile:
The combination of these four hydric soil indicators proves that the area is a wetland and is subject to conditions of saturation, flooding, or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part of the soil—a conclusion supported by the area's shallow bedrock, high water table, and saturated soil conditions.
Ivy draws a unique parallel between soil analysis and Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, transforming scientific observation into an artistic analogy:
"Looking at the Starry Night painting, my eyes are immediately drawn to the bright yellow stars and white moon against the dark blue night sky. In soil analysis, the dark blue sky represents the matrix of the soil, while the bright stars and moon resemble hydric soil indicators that ‘pop’ out. The streaking cypress tree in the painting? That’s like a redoximorphic concentration of manganese forming around a plant root. Just as these elements make Van Gogh’s painting unique, hydric soil indicators reveal the unique story of the land beneath our feet."
Beyond wetland delineation, soil classification is a key component of environmental restoration, conservation planning, and land management. The ability to analyze and interpret soil properties helps scientists understand long-term landscape changes, assess soil health, and develop strategies for sustainable land use.
The Munsell Soil Color Chart is particularly valuable in tracking environmental shifts. Subtle variations in soil color can indicate changes in moisture levels, organic content, or chemical composition—factors that influence everything from erosion control to habitat restoration. Soil analysis can reveal how a site has responded to past land use or whether a conservation area is recovering as expected.
By decoding soil characteristics with precision, environmental professionals can make informed decisions that support healthy ecosystems, improve water management, and guide responsible development. The Munsell Soil Color Chart remains a trusted resource in this process, providing a universal language for soil classification and environmental assessment.
Get ready to explore the hidden wonders of nature right in the heart of Flemington, New Jersey!
We are thrilled to announce BioBlitz 2024, an exciting 24-hour event dedicated to discovering and documenting the diverse species that call Flemington Borough home.
Mark your calendars for this immersive citizen science experience starting on Saturday, June 22nd at 11 AM and concluding on Sunday, June 23rd at 12 PM, hosted by Flemington DIY, with experts from Princeton Hydro and Hunterdon County Queer Birders.
A BioBlitz is a community-driven event where volunteers and scientists come together to identify and record as many species as possible within a designated area over a short period. Unlike traditional scientific surveys that typically must be implemented by licensed professionals, a BioBlitz invites people of all ages and backgrounds to participate, fostering a connection between the community and its local environment. The goal is to create a snapshot of biodiversity, providing valuable data for ecological studies and conservation efforts.
Discover Local Wildlife: Whether you're a seasoned naturalist or just curious about nature, this event offers a unique opportunity to explore Flemington's urban and natural landscapes. You'll have the chance to observe a variety of plants, animals, and other organisms, some of which you may have never noticed before.
Contribute to Science: By documenting species using the iNaturalist app, your observations will contribute to a growing database that helps scientists and researchers understand and protect local biodiversity. Your findings can make a difference in ongoing conservation efforts.
Connect with the Community: BioBlitz 2024 is a chance to meet fellow nature enthusiasts, learn from experts, and work together towards a common goal. It's a fun, educational experience for families, students, teachers, and anyone interested in the natural world.
Located in the watershed of the South Branch of the Raritan River and home to sections of watershed attached to Prescott Brook, Bushkill Creek, Walnut Brook, and the First Neshanic River, Flemington's diverse environments offer a unique setting for this event. Residents of the Borough are highly encouraged to document the wildlife in their own backyards as part of the event.
Participating in the BioBlitz will help create a comprehensive baseline species list that can be compared with future studies and historical data. This information is crucial for understanding how local biodiversity changes over time and for making informed decisions about environmental conservation.
The idea for Flemington’s BioBlitz was inspired by Princeton Hydro Aquatic Ecologist Jesse Smith. Jesse’s vision of engaging the community in a collaborative effort to explore local biodiversity led to this inaugural event, hosted by Flemington DIY.
“My idea to do this BioBlitz came from an interest in knowing more about what was present in Flemington, with a hope that this event will help others become more interested in the natural world in their backyard,” said Jesse Smith, event coordinator, Flemington DIY volunteer, and Aquatic Ecologist at Princeton Hydro.
This event will span 24 hours in order to provide participants an opportunity to document species that are more active at dusk, dawn, and at night. The event is free and open to all ages. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Location: Flemington DIY, 26 Stangl Road, Flemington, NJ
Start Date & Time: Plan to arrive at Flemington DIY on Saturday, June 22 at 11 AM to check-in and review important event details.
BioBlitz Timeframe:The documentation phase kicks off on June 22 at noon and wraps up on June 23 at noon. Although the event spans a full 24 hours, participants are not expected to be actively documenting the entire time. You can choose the times that best fit your schedule within this 24-hour window.
End Date & Time: Return to Flemington DIY on 6/23 at 12pm for the conclusion of the BioBlitz to review collected data and celebrate our findings!
What to Bring: Download the iNaturalist app on your smartphone for species identification. No prior expertise is required, and field guides will be provided. Wear comfortable shoes and bring rain gear just in case.
Whether you’re passionate about birds, plants and insects, curious about the natural world, or looking for a fun excuse to get outside, BioBlitz 2024 is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in Flemington’s rich biodiversity. Let’s come together to discover, learn, and contribute to our community’s natural heritage. For more information and to register for the event, please visit Flemington DIY's BioBlitz page.
A wetland is a unique ecosystem that is permanently or seasonally saturated by water, including swamps, marshes, bogs, vernal pools, and similar areas. They provide water quality improvement, flood protection, shoreline erosion control, food for humans and animals, and critical habitat for thousands of species of aquatic and terrestrial plants, aquatic organisms, and wildlife.
Princeton Hydro is regionally recognized for its capabilities in the restoration of freshwater and saltwater wetland ecosystems. Our ecologists also regularly conduct wetland delineations. A wetland delineation, a requirement of most permitting efforts, is the field work conducted to determine the boundary between the upper limit of a wetland and the lower limit of an upland thus identifying the approximate extent and location of wetlands on a requested site.
For this edition of our “A Day in the Life” blog series, we join Environmental Scientist Ivy Babson and Regulatory Compliance & Wildlife Surveys Project Manager Emily Bjorhus, PWS out in the field for a wetland delineation.
Most commonly, wetlands are delineated based on the Routine Onsite Determination Method set forth in the Federal Manual Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands (FICWD 1989) with supplemental information provided by the applicable United States Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) regional supplement manual.
USACE’s “three-parameter” approach defines an area as a wetland if it exhibits, under normal circumstances, all the following characteristics:
Ivy and Emily begin by coordinating with the client to ensure they’ve been granted site access approval.
They then perform a comprehensive desktop analysis of the project site, identifying existing features like wetlands, open waters (streams, lakes), and potential hydric soils. This involves utilizing resources like USFWS's National Wetland Inventory Mapper, the U.S. Geological Survey's SSURGO Soils Survey, and, for New Jersey-based delineations, NJDEP's GeoWeb. The desktop review also allows Ivy and Emily to assemble the proper safety gear and create a Model Health & Safety Plan (HASP). A HASP must always be prepared before the field work begins.
It's always important to make a plan for the project. If we are delineating a large property, it might take several days to traverse, and each day, the weather might be different. So planning ahead, but also being prepared for unexpected changes, will make the day go that much smoother. And, as part of the HASP, we must identify important points of contact and know where the closest hospital is in case of a serious emergency. So, reviewing this information and planning ahead prior to heading into the field is a very important step in the process.
While wetland delineations can be conducted any time of the year, they are best conducted during the “growing season” when soil temperatures are above the biologic zero and vegetation is easily identifiable by leaves, inflorescence, or other unique identifying characteristics that would otherwise be difficult to identify during the winter months.
Ivy and Emily begin by locating known (mapped) wetland or waterbody features and writing a list of all plants observed on-site. They maintain the plant list throughout the day.
If, during the desktop review, they find a mapped wetland or stream, they walk there first to determine if wetlands are actually present. Even if a wetland is mapped on a database, it may not actually exist for various reasons. On the flip side, even if a site is not mapped as containing wetlands, the site could very well contain them. As such, the wetland delineation determines exactly what is on-site and supplements the desktop review.
As mentioned above, a wetland delineation considers three determining factors: 1) vegetation, 2) soils, and 3) hydrology. While on site, Ivy and Emily must identify hydrophytic vegetation, take soil borings, and look for wetland hydrology to identify whether a wetland is present or not.
Wetlands are dominated by hydrophytes which are plants that can grow in water or on a substrate that is at least periodically deficient in oxygen because of excessive water content and depleted soil oxygen levels.
The USACE and NJDEP definition of hydrophytes is based on the USFWS classification system. In general, any plant species that is found growing in wetlands more than 50% of the time is considered a hydrophyte. These plants include those classified by the USFWS as “facultative," “facultative wetland," or “obligate."
As a wetland delineator, it is important to possess strong plant identification skills and an eye for recognizing various ecological plant communities, which are groups of plants that share a common environment and environmental requirements. They are often defined by dominant plant species.
Once Ivy and Emily identify the hydrophytic plant community, they determine what type of ecological community they are in (e.g., freshwater forested wetland, estuarine scrub-shrub wetland, or freshwater tidal emergent marsh). Today, they are in a freshwater forested wetland, which means Ivy and Emily must now assess each stratum of the forested wetland by writing down the species and associated percent species cover.
To accurately describe the vegetation at each sampling point, we collect data on each horizontal strata or layer. Vegetative strata for which dominants are determined include (1) tree (> 5.0 inches diameter at breast height (DBH) and 20 feet or taller); (2) sapling (0.4 to <5.0 inches DBH and <20 feet tall); (3) shrub (usually 3 to 20 feet tall including multi-stemmed, bushy shrubs); (4) woody vine; and (5) herb (herbaceous plants including graminoids, forbs, ferns, fern allies, herbaceous vines, and tree seedlings). They repeat this process for each representative wetland.
Next, Ivy and Emily look for the upland plant community that is directly upslope of the wetland and make note of the proximity to the wetland, repeating the same vegetation documentation process.
Ivy and Emily must determine whether the soils within the hydrophytic plant community are hydric. Hydric soils are defined as soils that are saturated, flooded, or ponded long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part. Hydric soil indicators are features in the soil that predominantly form by biogeochemical processes in a saturated and anaerobic environment and result in the accumulation of loss of iron, manganese, sulfur, or carbon compounds.
Emily uses a soil auger to collect a sample of the first 6 - 12 inches of soil where the most significant parts of a hydric soil would be occurring.
Once Ivy and Emily identify that the soil is indeed hydric, Ivy uses her Munsell soil color book to determine the value of the soil and each hydric soil indicator.
They also document additional characteristics of each soil layer: Is it loam, silty loam, sand, sandy loam, silt, muck, clay, clayey loam, etc.? What is the percentage of rocks, plant roots, or other organic matter in each layer? What is the percentage of redoximorphic features of each layer and are they faint or prominent?
Each layer of the soil profile, which is typically documented to a depth of at least 18 inches, is sectioned out and thoroughly described.
The identification of positive indicators of wetland hydrology includes direct observation of indicator groups, such as the observation of surface water or saturated soils, evidence of recent inundation, evidence of current or recent soil saturation, and evidence from other site conditions or data. Each group contains several indicators, which are classified into categories known as “primary” or “secondary” indicators.
To positively identify the area as being a wetland, at least one primary wetland indicator (from any group) or at least two secondary wetland indicators (from any group) must be present.
Additionally, for an area to be designated as a wetland, the area must have the presence of water for a week or more during the growing season. Areas with wetland hydrology characteristics are those where the presence of water has an overriding influence on characteristics of vegetation and soils due to anaerobic and reducing conditions, respectively.
Today, Emily and Ivy observe a depression (secondary) along with a few inches of standing water (primary), water-stained leaves (primary), frogs hopping around (primary), and moss trim lines on the tree trunks (secondary). All signs point to a forested wetland; however, there is more to consider.
Ivy and Emily’s soil boring assessment showed that the soils within the top 12 inches of the soil surface were saturated (primary) and bright orange streaks were visible along the plant roots, which they documented as oxidized rhizospheres along living roots (primary). Because they identified more than one primary and two secondary wetland indicators, they can confidently delineate the wetland.
Now that Ivy and Emily established that a wetland is present, they must find the boundary of the upland. They are now looking for the absence of hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soils, and positive indicators of wetland hydrology as well as the dominance of upland ecological plant communities. The same analysis and documentation process they completed for the wetland area is also required for the upland area.
Once they locate the boundary, they flag the wetland line, labeling the flagging with the wetland nomenclature and either hanging it or pinning it into the ground.
While the description sounds relatively simple, finding the boundary between a wetland and upland can be tricky and time consuming. For example, there may be some hydrophytic vegetation growing within an upland and there may be one secondary positive indicator of wetland hydrology, but hydric soils are missing. To positively classify an area as a wetland, a slam dunk on all three parameters is required.
Ivy and Emily must also delineate waterbodies concurrent with wetlands. Waterbodies may include, but are not limited to, streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. To delineate a waterbody, they hang labeled flagging along the waterbody’s top of bank or its ordinary high water mark. Throughout this process, they take pictures to document the existing waterbody conditions.
Once the wetland delineation is complete, Ivy and Emily draw out a field sketch that depicts the approximate extent and location of the wetland and waterbody boundaries with their respective nomenclature.
Depending on the project scope, the field sketch is either submitted to a Professional Licensed Surveyor who will then visit the site to survey each wetland and waterbody flag, or Ivy and Emily will return to the site to survey each flag with a survey-grade GPS. Once the survey is complete, Ivy and Emily will conduct a final review of the plans to ensure accuracy.
If requested, they will also prepare a wetland delineation report, which outlines the delineation method, findings, results, and thorough description of each wetland and its soils, hydrology, and vegetation.
“Wetland delineations aren’t for the faint of heart,” said Ivy. “At the end of the day, you might emerge from a dense stand of Phragmites garnering strange looks from passersby with muck smeared on your face, sticks and leaves poking out of your hair, a belly full of mosquitos that you might have accidentally swallowed, and fingernails stuffed with dirt. However, there isn’t any other type of field that I would rather be in. As a wetland delineator, I can access environments that most people would steer clear of and, as a result, I get to see things that I wouldn’t get to see anywhere else. I get to improve my plant identification skills and expand my knowledge of how wetlands function as an ecosystem.”
Emily Bjorhus is a Project Manager that specializes in environmental regulatory compliance, ecological services and wildlife surveys. She leads federal, state and local environmental permitting processes, NEPA compliance and documentation, Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultations, and Clean Water Act Section 404(b)1 analyses. Mrs. Bjorhus is a certified Professional Wetland Scientist.
As an Environmental Scientist, Ivy Babson regularly conducts wetland delineations and monitoring, flora/fauna surveys, water quality sampling, fishery surveys, permitting, and regulatory compliance for a series of projects. She earned her Wetland Delineation Certification from Rutgers University. Ivy graduated from the University of Vermont in 2019 with a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Ecological Design, and minor in Geospatial Technologies.
Here at Princeton Hydro, our team members are committed to learning new technologies, staying ahead of regulatory changes, expanding their knowledge, and earning professional certifications in order to better service our clients and the public.
Today, we are proud to put the spotlight on three team members who recently achieved new professional certifications from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).
Environmental Scientist Duncan Simpson, PWS, earned his Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) Fish Crew Leader certification. He is the only person to have earned this prestigious certification in 2020. He also successfully completed the MBSS Physical Habitat Assessment.
Staff Scientists Ivy Babson and Jesse Smith passed the written MBSS Benthic Macroinvertebrate Sampling Certification test, and successfully completed the related field audit.
The MBSS program was started by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in 1993 in order to improve consistency among all individuals in Maryland using MBSS habitat assessment protocols so that habitat data are comparable. The MBSS was Maryland's first probability-based or random design stream sampling program intended to provide unbiased estimates of stream conditions with known precision at various spatial scales ranging from large 6-digit river basins and medium-sized 8-digit watersheds to the entire state. This program is a cost-effective and efficient way to characterize Maryland's 10,000+ miles of freshwater streams.
Duncan attended the Fish Crew Leader and Physical Habitat Assessment certification trainings, which were held virtually due to COVID-19. Following the trainings, he successfully passed the required written exams and field audits.
For the habitat assessment field audit, Duncan had to complete an assessment and arrive at the same conclusions as the MBSS experts. He assessed a stream reach for several instream and upland habitat characteristics including audits of bank erosion; bank formation and substrate; stream character; woody debris; max depth; channelization; and riparian vegetation.
The fish crew leader audit required Duncan to lead a team of individuals on a mock fish sampling event during which he was responsible for overseeing that the crew using the MBSS Round Four Sampling Protocol. In order to pass the audit, Duncan had to illustrate his intimate familiarity with every aspect of MBSS sampling and have at least three years of experience with MBSS sampling or with another comparable ecological field sampling effort.
“I first learned about the MBSS certification in 2010 and have been hoping to take the training and earn the certification ever since. I truly admire and respect the scientific rigor of MBSS, so to be recognized with this prestigious certification is a great milestone in my career and something that I’m very proud of.” - Duncan Simpson
For Staff Scientists Ivy and Jesse, the MBSS Benthic Macroinvertebrate field audit required that they collect kicks/jabs in twenty locations within the stream reach, located within the Elbow Branch in Susquehanna State Park. These twenty kicks/jabs were divided up into different microhabitat types depending on which were most dominant in the reach. The MBSS auditor simultaneously collected the same number of each microhabitat type.
The twenty kicks performed by each sampler were compiled into one sample that was preserved and sent to the Maryland State Labs for analysis. In order to pass the audit, Jesse and Ivy’s Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (a metric based on the diversity and tolerance of the organisms collected) had to be within one unit of the auditor's. Additionally, their successful audit hinged on having the correct supplies and on decontaminating their gear to prevent the spread of invasive species.
"The training experience with MBSS allowed me to gain a deep appreciation of the role that benthic macroinvertebrates hold in our freshwater ecosystems. I’ve been able to develop a unique skillset to help my, and ultimately others’, understanding of benthic macroinvertebrate species richness and what they indicate in terms of water quality that contribute to the health of these special ecosystems." -Ivy Babson
"I've had an interest in aquatic macroinvertebrates since college, and this training experience with the MBSS helped me further appreciate the process that goes into studying them and the ecosystems in which they live. This certification will allow me further opportunities to work with these organisms in the future, and I look forward to more work in this area." - Jesse Smith
In total, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources offers five certification opportunities in MBSS protocols. The certifications include benthic macroinvertebrate sampling, benthic macroinvertebrate laboratory processing and subsampling, fish crew leader, fish taxonomy, and physical habitat assessment. In some cases, prerequisite certifications and trainings are required in order to apply and complete the DNR’s MBSS certifications. For example, in order to achieve the benthic macroinvertebrate taxonomy program, a previous Society for Freshwater Science certification is required.
Attendance at MBSS spring and summer trainings is a partial requirement for most of the certifications. Participants must pass written tests and field audits, as well as additional tests and quality assurance procedures. Passing a laboratory audit and a written test is also required for the benthic macroinvertebrate laboratory processing and subsampling certification.
Congratulations to Duncan, Ivy, & Jesse!
Click here for more information about the MBSS certification program. If you’re interested in learning more about the wide variety of engineering and environmental services Princeton Hydro offers, go here: princetonhydro.com/services.
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