National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 2 - Engineering Geologic Investigations
Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2012
Geologic investigations commonly conducted in the agency focus on siting and designing engineering practices, ranging from high-hazard classification earth fill dams to farm ponds and animal waste storage or treatment structures. Additionally, geologists investigate landslides and their potential to occur, structural failures or deficiencies in practices already built, and participate in stream restoration planning, design, and implementation. An emerging workload focuses on the rehabilitation of existing watershed protection structures and potentials to decommission or remove structures and practices, involving investigations of stored sediment quantity and quality (toxicity), which could possibly become mobilized.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) geologists conduct engineering geology investigations on request and for the planning, siting, design, and implementation of engineering structures and engineering conservation practices across a broad spectrum of programs carried out by the agency. Nongeologists do perform many reconnaissance-level geologic investigations for some conservation practices through the agency’s system of authority that is delegated by the State conservation engineer (SCE) on the basis of individuals’ training and experience (USDA NRCS 2010a (Part 501)).
Revision ID: 1823
Revision Date: 07/20/2022