Soil Data Access Web Service Help
The following Soil Data Access web services are available:
The current Soil Data Access WMS service supports OGC WMS version 1.1.1 requests while the current
Soil Data Access WFS services support OGC WFS version 1.1.0 (GML2/GML3) requests.
The current Soil Data Access WMS service is supported by the following ArcGIS Desktop versions:
- ArcGIS 9.2
- ArcGIS 9.1
- ArcGIS 8.3 with the free OGC Add-On
The current Soil Data Access WFS services are supported by the following ArcGIS Desktop versions:
- ArcGIS 9.2 with a licensed Data Interoperability extension
- ArcGIS 9.1 with a licensed Data Interoperability extension
- ArcGIS 8.3 with the free OGC Add-On
For other products that support the current Soil Data Access web map service or web feature services,
please visit http://www.opengeospatial.org/resource/products/byspec
and select specification "Web Map Service v.1.1.1" or "Web Feature Service v.1.0", respectively.
For instructions for integrating the Soil Data Access web services into your GIS or other related product,
please refer to your vendor's documentation.
The following conventions are used when describing all web service method input parameters:
| | {} = required parameter |
| | [] = optional parameter |
| | | = ‘or’ |
| | <label> ::= variable or definition block |
| | parameter names and values are case insensitive |
Web Services
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Tabular/SDMTabularService.asmx
[WSDL]
This service provides access to tabular data contained within the Soil Data Mart database. The request is made via SOAP.
Methods: RunQuery
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Tabular/post.rest
(WSDL not applicable)
This service provides access to tabular data contained within the Soil Data Mart database. The request is made via REST/POST.
Service: post.rest
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMWGS84Geographic.wfs
[WSDL]
This service returns features in WGS84 Geographic (EPSG 4326) coordinates. Input parameters for the
GetFeature method include one or more spatial filters and the name of the feature type layer that
should be returned. The volume of information that can be returned by a GetFeature request is
constrained by limiting the extent of any input spatial filter.
Methods: GetCapabilities, DescribeFeatureType, GetFeature
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMNAD83Geographic.wfs
[WSDL]
This service returns features in NAD83 Geographic (EPSG 4269) coordinates. Input parameters for the
GetFeature method include one or more spatial filters and the name of the feature type or layer that
should be returned. The volume of information that can be returned by a GetFeature request is
constrained by limiting the extent of any input spatial filter.
Methods: GetCapabilities, DescribeFeatureType, GetFeature
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMWM.wfs
[WSDL]
This service returns features in Web Mercator (EPSG 3857) coordinates. Input parameters for the
GetFeature method include one or more spatial filters and the name of the feature type or layer that
should be returned. The volume of information that can be returned by a GetFeature request is
constrained by limiting the extent of any input spatial filter.
Methods: GetCapabilities, DescribeFeatureType, GetFeature
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDM.wms
[WSDL]
This service returns map images in common image formats such as JPEG, GIF, PNG, and others. Input
parameters for the GetMap method include projection, image width and height in pixels, a single
bounding box spatial filter, the names of the feature types or layers that should be returned and
image format. The volume of information that can be returned by a GetMap request is constrained by
limiting the extent of the input spatial filter.
Methods: GetCapabilities, DescribeLayer, GetStyles, GetFeatureInfo, GetMap
To add this service to ArcMap: Click "Add Data", then "GIS Servers", then "Add WMS Server".
For the URL, type the web service URL without any query string parameters, such as
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDM.wms?. Click OK. Click Add. Select the Soil
Data Mart Data Access Web Map Service. Click Add. The layers have maximum and minimum scale
thresholds for visibility so you may need to zoom in to see a map.
Web Service Methods
RunQuery
This method returns the output for one or more SQL Select statements or a single ADO Shape command
that is executed against the Soil Data Mart database. The output is returned in XML format, which
can be transformed into a Microsoft .Net Framework DataSet if you should so desire. This method
can throw the following exceptions: "The Soil Data Mart is down." and exceptions that begin with
"Invalid query", "Server error", "Your immediate query timed out", or "Memory limit". All supporting
documentation for creating queries to be executed against the Soil Data Mart database is available on
the Query Help page. An interface for testing this method can be found
on the Query page.
Web services for which this method is supported:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Tabular/SDMTabularService.asmx
Input parameters:
| Input Parameter | Description |
|---|
| { Query } | either an SQL script that includes one or more Select statements or a single Shape command |
Sample URL:
This method cannot be invoked by a URL submitted via a web browser.
post.rest
This service is similar to the RunQuery method described immediately above.
Request parameters must be submitted via POST, the output is returned either as XML or as JSON
(or as plain text, if using the tilde (~) format option).
All supporting documentation for creating queries to be executed against the Soil Data Mart
database is available on the Query Help page.
A maximum of 100,000 rows may be returned.
Web service:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Tabular/post.rest
Input parameters:
| Input Parameter | Description |
|---|
| { Query } | either an SQL script that includes one or more Select statements or a single Shape command
|
| [ FORMAT = XML | JSON | JSON+COLUMNNAME | JSON+COLUMNNAME+METADATA | ~ ] |
output format (default is XML). See notes below regarding the JSON* and "~" values.
|
Notes
The "Shape" command may only be used with the XML or "~" formats.
If JSON+COLUMNNAME is used, the first row returned contains the name of each
column, the actual data starts at the second row. Similarly, if JSON+COLUMNNAME+METADATA is used,
first row returned contains the name of each column, the second contains metadata about the column (such as numeric type,
column width (for char and varchar) and any other metadata presented by the underlying SQL Server database engine.
Actual data starts in the third row, following the metadata.
The metadata for each column, consists of a set of comma-separated name=value pairs. The names are a subset of those
provided by SQL Server as documented in
SqlDataReader.GetSchemaTable Method()
In the case of “ProviderType” (presented by SQL Server as an integer) the integer value is translated into
the corresponding “SqlDbType enumeration” as per
SQL Server Data Type Mappings.
There is some “noise” in the set of metadata attributes presented by SQL Server, for example
“NumericPrecision=255,NumericScale=255” is shown when not applicable.
The tilde ("~") echoes the Query as text; it is not executed. If macros are used, the full
macro expansion is displayed.
Sample URL:
This method cannot be invoked by a URL submitted via a web browser.
GetCapabilities
This method returns information about the corresponding web service. This information includes
supported methods, supported feature types or layers, supported spatial filters and supported
projection(s).
Web services for which this method is supported:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMWGS84Geographic.wfs
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMNAD83Geographic.wfs
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMWM.wfs
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDM.wms
Input parameters:
| Input Parameter | Description |
|---|
| [ SERVICE=WFS | WMS ] | corresponding OGC service type, default based upon name of service |
| [ VERSION=1.1.0 ] | OGC version number when SERVICE=WFS (default = 1.1.0) |
| [ VERSION=1.1.1 ] | OGC version number when SERVICE=WMS (default = 1.1.1) |
| { REQUEST=GetCapabilities } | method name |
Sample URL:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMWGS84Geographic.wfs ?SERVICE=WFS&VERSION=1.1.0 &REQUEST=GetCapabilities
DescribeFeatureType
This method returns information about the feature types or layers supported by the corresponding
web service. This information includes geometry type, attribute names and data types.
Thematic map feature types are supported only by the Web Mercator (SDMWM.wfs) service.
Web services for which this method is supported:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMWGS84Geographic.wfs
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMNAD83Geographic.wfs
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMWM.wfs
Input parameters:
| Input Parameter | Description |
|---|
| [ SERVICE=WFS ] | OGC service type |
| [ VERSION=1.0.0 | 1.1.0 ] | OGC version number (default = 1.1.0) |
| { REQUEST=DescribeFeatureType } | method name |
| [ TYPENAME=<layer name> ] | feature type or layer name (default = all feature types or layers) |
| [ OUTPUTFORMAT=XMLSCHEMA | SFE_XMLSCHEMA ] | output format (default = XMLSCHEMA) |
Sample URL:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMWGS84Geographic.wfs ?SERVICE=WFS&VERSION=1.1.0 &REQUEST=DescribeFeatureType
GetStyles
This method returns a "Styled Layer Descriptor" (SLD) for the specified layer(s) as an XML file.
The SLD may be edited and used in conjunction with a GetMap "SLD_BODY"
request to tailor the appearance of a map. SLD is documented at Mapserver SLD.
Web services for which this method is supported:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDM.wms
Input parameters:
| Input Parameter | Description |
|---|
| [ SERVICE=WMS ] | OGC service type |
| [ VERSION=1.1.1 ] | OGC version number (default = 1.1.1) |
| { REQUEST=GetStyles } | method name |
| { LAYERS=<layer name list> } | feature type or layer name(s), comma-separated |
<layer name list> ::= { <layer name> [ ,...n ] }
Sample URL:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDM.wms?SERVICE=WMS&VERSION=1.1.1&REQUEST=GetStyles&LAYERS=mapunitpoly,featpoint
GetFeature
This method returns a feature collection for a single feature type or layer, for a user specified area of interest.
Spatial data are returned only for OUTPUTFORMAT=GML2 or GML3.
Thematic map feature types are supported only by the Web Mercator (SDMWM.wfs) service.
Web services for which this method is supported:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMWGS84Geographic.wfs
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMNAD83Geographic.wfs
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMWM.wfs
Input parameters:
| Input Parameter | Description |
|---|
| [ SERVICE=WFS ] | OGC service type |
| [ VERSION=1.0.0 | 1.1.0 ] | OGC version number (default = 1.1.0) |
| { REQUEST=GetFeature } | method name |
| { TYPENAME=<layer name> } | feature type or layer name |
| [ THEMATICMAPID=<integer> ] | Thematic Map ID obtained from a Web Soil Survey thematic map. Required when using thematic layer types such as "mapunitpolythematic". |
| { <spatial filter> } | spatial filter(s) in the appropriate spatial reference system |
| [ OUTPUTFORMAT=GML2 | GML3 | XMLMukeyList ] | output format (default = GML2) |
| [ MAXFEATURES=<integer> ] | maximum number of features to be returned (limit: 250000) |
<spatial filter> ::= { BBOX=<bounding box coordinates> | FILTER=<GML filter spec> | FEATUREID=<feature id> }
Sample URL:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDMWGS84Geographic.wfs?SERVICE=WFS &VERSION=1.1.0 &REQUEST=GetFeature &TYPENAME=MapunitPoly &FILTER=<Filter><BBOX><PropertyName>Geometry</PropertyName><Box srsName='EPSG:4326'> <coordinates>-121.77100,37.368402 -121.76000,37.373473</coordinates> </Box></BBOX></Filter> &SRSNAME=EPSG:4326 &OUTPUTFORMAT=GML2
DescribeLayer
This method exists to support user-defined styles by describing WMS named layers. If a named layer is not feature based,
then the Layer Description is empty. However if the named layer is feature based, then the “WFS” attribute gives the URL
prefix for the WFS containing the feature data.
Web services for which this method is supported:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDM.wms
Input parameters:
| Input Parameter | Description |
|---|
| [ SERVICE=WMS ] | OGC service type |
| [ VERSION=1.1.1 ] | OGC version number |
| { REQUEST=DescribeLayer } | method name |
| [ LAYERS=<layer name list> ] | feature type or layer name(s) (default = all applicable layers) |
<layer name list> ::= { <layer name> [ ,...n ] }
Sample URL:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDM.wms ?SERVICE=WMS&VERSION=1.1.1 &REQUEST=DescribeLayer &LAYERS=SurveyAreaPoly,MapunitPoly
GetFeatureInfo
This method returns information about particular features shown on a map. It allows a client to request information about
features on a map by adding to the map URL additional parameters specifying a location (as an X, Y offset from the upper
left corner) and the number of nearby features about which to return information. A Layer is said to be “queryable”
if the server supports the GetFeatureInfo operation on that Layer. A server may support GetFeatureInfo on some of its
layers but not on all. The GetCapabilities request reports which layers, if any, are queryable.
Web services for which this method is supported:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDM.wms
Input parameters:
| Input Parameter | Description |
|---|
| { REQUEST=GetFeatureInfo } | method name |
| { QUERY_LAYERS=<layer name list> } | This is the map layer(s) for which feature information should be retrieved. Its value is a comma-separated list of one or more map layers. This parameter must contain at least one layer name, but may contain fewer layers than the original GetMap request. |
| { X=pixel_column } | X coordinate in pixels of feature (measured from upper left corner=0) |
| { Y=pixel_row } | Y coordinate in pixels of feature (measured from upper left corner=0) |
| [ INFO_FORMAT=text/html | text/plain | gml2 ] | return format of feature information (MIME type) (default = text/plain) |
| [ FEATURE_COUNT=<integer> ] | This is the maximum number of features for which feature information should be returned. Its value must be a positive integer greater than zero (default = 1, limit: 250000). |
| [ EXCEPTIONS= xml | Application/VND.OGC.SE_XML ] | format in which exceptions are to be reported (default = XML) |
| { <map_request_copy> } | partial copy of the request parameters that generated the map for which information is desired |
<layer name list> ::= { <layer name> [ ,...n ] }
<map_request_copy> ::= This is not a name/value pair like the other parameters. Instead, most of the GetMap request parameters that generated the original map are repeated. Two are omitted because GetFeatureInfo provides its own values for VERSION and REQUEST. The remainder of the GetMap request shall be embedded contiguously in the GetFeatureInfo request.
Sample URL:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDM.wms ?SERVICE=WMS &VERSION=1.1.1&REQUEST=GetFeatureInfo &QUERY_LAYERS=SurveyAreaPoly&X=260&Y=253&LAYERS=SurveyAreaPoly &INFO_FORMAT=text/html&FEATURE_COUNT=50 &EXCEPTIONS=application/vnd.ogc.se_xml&STYLES=&SRS=EPSG:4326 &BBOX=-108.16419080996,38.758063028388,-108.134685494042,38.7801920153271 &WIDTH=600&HEIGHT=450
GetMap
This method returns a rectangular map graphic for one or more supported feature types or layers,
for a user specified area of interest. The layers returned by this method have map scale thresholds.
Map unit features are not displayed unless map scale is in the range 1:0 to 1:250,000. Survey area
features are not displayed unless map scale is in the range 1:100 to 1:5,000,000. Feature points and lines
are not displayed unless map scale is in the range 1:0 to 1:250,000.
Web services for which this method is supported:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDM.wms
Input parameters:
| Input Parameter | Description |
|---|
| [ SERVICE=WMS ] | OGC service type |
| [ VERSION=1.1.1 ] | OGC version number |
| { REQUEST=GetMap } | method name |
| { LAYERS=<layer name list> } | feature type or layer name(s), comma-separated |
| [ THEMATICMAPID=<integer> ] | Thematic Map ID obtained from a Web Soil Survey thematic map. Required when using thematic layer types such as "mapunitpolythematic". |
| [ SLD_BODY=<sld_body> ] | Styled Layer Descriptor |
| [ STYLES=<style list> ] | comma-separated list of one rendering style per requested layer |
| [ SRS=<EPSG projection code> ] |
EPSG spatial reference system code for output map projection (default is "EPSG:4326", i.e. WGS 1984) |
| { BBOX=<bounding box coordinates> } | bounding box corners (lower left, upper right) in the specfified (or defaulted) SRS |
| [ WIDTH=<integer> ] | map image width in pixels (default=640) |
| [ HEIGHT=<integer> ] | map image height in pixels (default=480) |
| [ FORMAT= image/gif | image/png | image/jpeg | image/svg+xml ] | format of the output map image (default = image/svg+xml) |
| [ TRANSPARENT=TRUE | FALSE ] | background map image transparency (default = False) |
| [ BGCOLOR=<color_value> ] | hexadecimal red-green-blue color value for the background map image color (default = 0xFFFFFF) |
| [ EXCEPTIONS=XML | Application/VND.OGC.SE_XML | Application/vnd.ogc.se_inimage ] | format in which exceptions are to be reported (default = XML) |
<layer name list> ::= { <layer name> [ ,...n ] }
<sld_body> ::= A "Styled Layer Descriptor" that describeds how the layer(s) is/are to be painted. Model the SLD content upon the
SLD returned by a GetStyles request for the layer(s) of interest. SLD is documented at Mapserver SLD.
This parameter may only be used in a POST request.
<style list> ::= This is a comma-separated list of one rendering style per requested layer. A client may request the default style using a null value (as in “STYLES=”). At this time, no styles other than a default style are supported because the “styles” that we support are currently implemented as layers (surveyareapolytransparent and surveyareapolyoutline) rather than styles. We do anticipate converting those layers to styles at some point.
Sample URL:
https://SDMDataAccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/Spatial/SDM.wms ?SERVICE=WMS&VERSION=1.1.1&REQUEST=GetMap &LAYERS=SurveyAreaPoly,MapunitPoly&STYLES=&SRS=EPSG:4326 &BBOX=-102.65253,38.18368,-102.59682,38.21139&WIDTH=600 &HEIGHT=400&FORMAT=image/gif &EXCEPTIONS=Application/VND.OGC.SE_XML
|