Return to search results
Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA)
The MLRA Geographic Database was prepared for Agriculture Handbook 296 re-publication and is used to support decisions about regional and national agricultural issues. The database and AH 296 help to identify the need for research and resource inventories. The handbook serves as the vehicle for extrapolating the results of research across political boundaries and is the basis for organizing and operating natural resource conservation programs. Today, USDA soil survey offices are organized to serve groups of the major land resource areas defined in this handbook. The handbook was first published in 1965 as an expansion of the 1950 map entitled “Problem Areas in Soil Conservation”, and was designed primarily for use by the Soil Conservation Service. The handbook was updated in 1978, and the second edition was printed in 1981. The third edition was published in 2006. The 2022 publication is the fourth edition.
Complete Metadata
| @type | dcat:Dataset |
|---|---|
| accessLevel | public |
| accrualPeriodicity | irregular |
| bureauCode |
[
"000:00"
]
|
| contactPoint |
{
"fn": "Soils Hotline",
"@type": "vcard:Contact",
"hasEmail": "mailto:soilshotline@usda.gov"
}
|
| dataQuality |
true
|
| description | The MLRA Geographic Database was prepared for Agriculture Handbook 296 re-publication and is used to support decisions about regional and national agricultural issues. The database and AH 296 help to identify the need for research and resource inventories. The handbook serves as the vehicle for extrapolating the results of research across political boundaries and is the basis for organizing and operating natural resource conservation programs. Today, USDA soil survey offices are organized to serve groups of the major land resource areas defined in this handbook. The handbook was first published in 1965 as an expansion of the 1950 map entitled “Problem Areas in Soil Conservation”, and was designed primarily for use by the Soil Conservation Service. The handbook was updated in 1978, and the second edition was printed in 1981. The third edition was published in 2006. The 2022 publication is the fourth edition. |
| distribution |
[
{
"@type": "dcat:Distribution",
"title": "Webmap",
"accessURL": "https://nrcs.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=58c18a7690fa4b2c86c5a9a069e0457b",
"description": "An interactive map that allows you to view the spatial evolution of MLRAs by comparing distributions as published in the 1965, 1981, 2006, and 2022 editions of USDA Agriculture Handbook 296. Swipe left to show LRRs and MLRAs in 1965 (CONUS only). Swipe right to show LRRs and MLRAs in 1981 (CONUS only). The white lines represent MLRAs from 2006 and the blue lines are the current 2022 MLRAs. Clicking on the map will pop-up the tabular information for both years, including LRR and MLRA names and symbols at the click location."
},
{
"@type": "dcat:Distribution",
"title": "MLRA_52.shp.xml",
"mediaType": "application/xml",
"conformsTo": "http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gmi",
"description": "metadata",
"downloadURL": "https://inventory.data.gov/dataset/738ad700-47db-4d3d-84ce-e0e4fc9874da/resource/85d2c056-6cc8-496f-a8df-61a15a3ffdd5/download/mlra_52.shp.xml"
},
{
"@type": "dcat:Distribution",
"title": "Zip file",
"mediaType": "text/html",
"description": "2022 MLRA Geographic Database, version 5.2 (entire U.S., zipped shapefile format, 5.1 MB)",
"downloadURL": "https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/data-and-reports/major-land-resource-area-mlra"
}
]
|
| identifier | 430-17 |
| issued | 2022-05-11 |
| keyword |
[
"LRR",
"LRU",
"MLRA",
"NCSS",
"NGDA",
"NGDA137",
"NRCS",
"National Cooperative Soil Survey",
"National Geospatial Data Assett",
"Soils Theme",
"USDA",
"physiography",
"soil survey",
"soils"
]
|
| landingPage | https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/data-and-reports/major-land-resource-area-mlra |
| language |
[
"en-US"
]
|
| license | https://www.usa.gov/publicdomain/label/1.0/ |
| modified | 2026-02-04 |
| programCode |
[
"000:000"
]
|
| publisher |
{
"name": "Natural Resources Conservation Service",
"@type": "org:Organization",
"subOrganizationOf": {
"name": "Natural Resources Conservation Service",
"@type": "org:Organization"
}
}
|
| rights |
"true"
|
| spatial | United States, Territories, Commonwealths and Island Nations |
| theme |
[
"geospatial"
]
|
| title | Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA) |
