Mapping Subaqueous Soils By Combining Digital Soil Mapping, Proximal Sensors and Field Measurements.

Expected sea levels rise will likely affect coastal areas and estuaries. The expansion and/or contraction of water bodies could affect soil development and distribution. Soils occurring in these critical zones play important ecosystem functions related but not limited to water quality, submersed aquatic vegetation, nutrient cyclin and wildlife habitat. Mapping subaqueous soils is unique compared to mapping traditional upland soils and challenging at the same time. The use of techniques such Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) and Remote Sensing (RS) can increase the efficiency and accuracy of mapping subaqueous soils and increase the efficiency of field observations and data collection. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of DSM and RS techniques in combination with field observations and measurements for effectively and accurately mapping subaqueous soils in Lake Champlain’s Missisquoi Bay. Coarse Stratified Sediments and Lacustrine Silt associated with Delta/Nearshore and Lakebed/Bay Bottom subaqueous soil-landscape units covered 90 percent of the study area. The Lacustrine Silt occurred in relatively deep, low-energy, depositional areas and had the highest P concentrations. The majority of the submersed aquatic vegetation was associated with Delta/Nearshore and Fringing Peatland subaqueous soil landscapes under shallow water.