# USDA Soil Data Access (SDA) Survey Scraper (`jungle_synthesizer/usda-soil-data-access-survey-scraper`) Actor

Query the USDA NRCS SSURGO soil database via Soil Data Access REST API. Returns denormalised map unit, component, and horizon rows with typed soil properties: pH, texture fractions, organic matter, available water capacity, cation exchange capacity, drainage class, and taxonomy.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/jungle\_synthesizer/usda-soil-data-access-survey-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [BowTiedRaccoon](https://apify.com/jungle_synthesizer) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per event

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md):

```bash
npm install apify-client
```

In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md):

```bash
pip install apify-client
```

In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md):

````bash
# MacOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash
# Windows
irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex
```bash

In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md).

If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).


# README

## USDA Soil Data Access (SDA) Survey Scraper

Extract typed, denormalised soil data from the USDA NRCS SSURGO database via the Soil Data Access REST API. Point it at one or more county area symbols and get back structured map unit, component, and soil horizon records — pH, texture percentages, organic matter, available water capacity, cation exchange capacity, drainage class, and taxonomy — without writing a line of T-SQL.

### What it does

The [Soil Data Access (SDA)](https://sdmdataaccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/) endpoint is the official REST interface to SSURGO, the most complete US soil survey database. It accepts raw SQL queries over POST and returns untyped arrays — useful for experts, hostile for everyone else.

This actor wraps that endpoint into a clean workflow:

1. Accepts a list of county area symbols (e.g. `TX001` for Anderson County TX), a two-letter state code, or any combination.
2. Joins the `legend → mapunit → component → chorizon` tables automatically.
3. Parses the column-name header row into a labelled, typed record.
4. Outputs one row per soil horizon per component (or one row per component when horizon data is disabled).

All numeric fields (`pH`, `slope`, `clay`, `sand`, `silt`, `OM`, `AWC`, `CEC`, `elevation`, `precipitation`, `temperature`) are returned as JavaScript numbers, not strings.

### Input

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `areasymbols` | array of strings | County survey area symbols to query (e.g. `["TX001", "CA067"]`). Required unless `stateCode` is set. |
| `stateCode` | string | Optional 2-letter state code (e.g. `TX`). Expands to all survey areas in that state. Ignored when `areasymbols` is set. |
| `includeHorizons` | boolean | When `true` (default), joins chorizon data; one row per horizon per component. Set `false` for component-level rows only. |
| `maxItems` | integer | Maximum records to return. `0` = unlimited. Default `10`. |

#### Finding area symbols

Area symbols follow the pattern `{STATE}{NUMBER}` where the number is a zero-padded county code. A full legend is available at [https://sdmdataaccess.sc.egov.usda.gov](https://sdmdataaccess.sc.egov.usda.gov). Common examples:

| Symbol | Area |
|---|---|
| `TX001` | Anderson County, Texas |
| `CA067` | Marin County, California |
| `IA001` | Adair County, Iowa |
| `OR001` | Baker County, Oregon |

### Output

Each record contains:

**Location / map unit**
- `areasymbol` — county survey code (e.g. `TX001`)
- `areaname` — county name (e.g. `Anderson County, Texas`)
- `mukey` — map unit key
- `musym` — map unit symbol
- `muname` — map unit name

**Soil component**
- `cokey` — component key
- `compname` — soil series name (e.g. `Gallime`)
- `comppct_r` — representative component percent
- `taxorder` / `taxsuborder` / `taxgrtgroup` — soil taxonomy
- `drainagecl` — drainage class
- `hydricrating` — hydric soil classification
- `slope_r`, `elev_r` — slope (%) and elevation (m)
- `airtempa_r`, `map_r` — mean annual temp (°C) and precipitation (mm)
- `frostact` — frost action class

**Soil horizon** (when `includeHorizons: true`)
- `chkey` — horizon key
- `hzname` — horizon name (A, B, Bt, C, etc.)
- `hzdept_r`, `hzdepb_r` — top and bottom depth (cm)
- `sandtotal_r`, `silttotal_r`, `claytotal_r` — texture fractions (weight %)
- `om_r` — organic matter (weight %)
- `ph1to1h2o_r` — soil pH (1:1 water)
- `awc_r` — available water capacity (cm/cm)
- `cec7_r` — cation exchange capacity at pH 7 (meq/100g)
- `source` — always `USDA NRCS SSURGO via Soil Data Access`

### Example use cases

- **Agronomy / precision agriculture** — query soil texture and pH for specific fields before planting decisions.
- **Land development / site feasibility** — check drainage class, slope, and AWC for construction suitability.
- **Environmental / wetland consulting** — identify hydric soils by `hydricrating` across a project area.
- **Landscaping / native-plant siting** — match soil taxonomy and pH to species requirements.
- **AI training data** — build structured soil property datasets for machine learning models.

### Notes

- Data is sourced from USDA NRCS SSURGO — the official national soil survey. It is public-domain federal data.
- The SDA endpoint is single-threaded. This actor queries it conservatively (single-threaded with 500ms courtesy delay) to avoid overloading the federal server.
- Large area queries (entire states, 100+ counties) produce millions of rows. Use `maxItems` to cap output during testing and set it to `0` only when you need the full dataset.
- Not all counties have complete horizon data. Fields may be `null` where the survey is incomplete.

# Actor input Schema

## `sp_intended_usage` (type: `string`):

Please describe how you plan to use the data extracted by this crawler.
## `sp_improvement_suggestions` (type: `string`):

Provide any feedback or suggestions for improvements.
## `sp_contact` (type: `string`):

Provide your email address so we can get in touch with you.
## `areasymbols` (type: `array`):

List of USDA soil survey area symbols to query (e.g. TX001 = Anderson County TX, CA067 = Marin County CA). See https://sdmdataaccess.sc.egov.usda.gov for the full legend.
## `stateCode` (type: `string`):

Optional 2-letter US state code to query all survey areas in that state (e.g. TX, CA, NY). Ignored when areasymbols is provided.
## `includeHorizons` (type: `boolean`):

When true, joins chorizon (soil layer) data onto each component row. Produces one row per horizon per component. Set false to return component-level rows only.
## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of records to scrape (0 = unlimited). Each record is one denormalised horizon row (or component row when includeHorizons is false).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...",
  "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...",
  "sp_contact": "Share your email here...",
  "areasymbols": [
    "TX001"
  ],
  "includeHorizons": true,
  "maxItems": 10
}
````

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...",
    "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...",
    "sp_contact": "Share your email here...",
    "areasymbols": [
        "TX001"
    ],
    "stateCode": "",
    "includeHorizons": true,
    "maxItems": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("jungle_synthesizer/usda-soil-data-access-survey-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...",
    "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...",
    "sp_contact": "Share your email here...",
    "areasymbols": ["TX001"],
    "stateCode": "",
    "includeHorizons": True,
    "maxItems": 10,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("jungle_synthesizer/usda-soil-data-access-survey-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...",
  "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...",
  "sp_contact": "Share your email here...",
  "areasymbols": [
    "TX001"
  ],
  "stateCode": "",
  "includeHorizons": true,
  "maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call jungle_synthesizer/usda-soil-data-access-survey-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=jungle_synthesizer/usda-soil-data-access-survey-scraper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

```json
{
    "openapi": "3.0.1",
    "info": {
        "title": "USDA Soil Data Access (SDA) Survey Scraper",
        "description": "Query the USDA NRCS SSURGO soil database via Soil Data Access REST API. Returns denormalised map unit, component, and horizon rows with typed soil properties: pH, texture fractions, organic matter, available water capacity, cation exchange capacity, drainage class, and taxonomy.",
        "version": "0.1",
        "x-build-id": "aKlFzLwJhbauB0beM"
    },
    "servers": [
        {
            "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2"
        }
    ],
    "paths": {
        "/acts/jungle_synthesizer~usda-soil-data-access-survey-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-jungle_synthesizer-usda-soil-data-access-survey-scraper",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/jungle_synthesizer~usda-soil-data-access-survey-scraper/runs": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "runs-sync-jungle_synthesizer-usda-soil-data-access-survey-scraper",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK",
                        "content": {
                            "application/json": {
                                "schema": {
                                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema"
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/jungle_synthesizer~usda-soil-data-access-survey-scraper/run-sync": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-jungle_synthesizer-usda-soil-data-access-survey-scraper",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    },
    "components": {
        "schemas": {
            "inputSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "required": [
                    "maxItems"
                ],
                "properties": {
                    "sp_intended_usage": {
                        "title": "What is the intended usage of this data?",
                        "minLength": 1,
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Please describe how you plan to use the data extracted by this crawler."
                    },
                    "sp_improvement_suggestions": {
                        "title": "How can we improve this crawler for you?",
                        "minLength": 1,
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Provide any feedback or suggestions for improvements."
                    },
                    "sp_contact": {
                        "title": "Contact Email",
                        "minLength": 1,
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Provide your email address so we can get in touch with you."
                    },
                    "areasymbols": {
                        "title": "Area Symbols (counties)",
                        "type": "array",
                        "description": "List of USDA soil survey area symbols to query (e.g. TX001 = Anderson County TX, CA067 = Marin County CA). See https://sdmdataaccess.sc.egov.usda.gov for the full legend.",
                        "items": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "default": [
                            "TX001"
                        ]
                    },
                    "stateCode": {
                        "title": "State Code (2-letter)",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Optional 2-letter US state code to query all survey areas in that state (e.g. TX, CA, NY). Ignored when areasymbols is provided."
                    },
                    "includeHorizons": {
                        "title": "Include Horizon Data",
                        "type": "boolean",
                        "description": "When true, joins chorizon (soil layer) data onto each component row. Produces one row per horizon per component. Set false to return component-level rows only.",
                        "default": true
                    },
                    "maxItems": {
                        "title": "Max Items",
                        "type": "integer",
                        "description": "Maximum number of records to scrape (0 = unlimited). Each record is one denormalised horizon row (or component row when includeHorizons is false).",
                        "default": 10
                    }
                }
            },
            "runsResponseSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "data": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "properties": {
                            "id": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "actId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "userId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "startedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "finishedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "status": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "READY"
                            },
                            "meta": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "origin": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "API"
                                    },
                                    "userAgent": {
                                        "type": "string"
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "stats": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "inputBodyLen": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2000
                                    },
                                    "rebootCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "restartCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "resurrectCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "computeUnits": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "options": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "build": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "latest"
                                    },
                                    "timeoutSecs": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 300
                                    },
                                    "memoryMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1024
                                    },
                                    "diskMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2048
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "buildId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultKeyValueStoreId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultDatasetId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultRequestQueueId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "buildNumber": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "1.0.0"
                            },
                            "containerUrl": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "usage": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "usageTotalUsd": {
                                "type": "number",
                                "example": 0.00005
                            },
                            "usageUsd": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "number",
                                        "example": 0.00005
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
```