Dataset extent

SCS Hydrological Soil Groups Over South Africa At Terrain Unit Resolution

This dataset provides a high‑resolution, terrain‑unit‑based map of SCS (Soil Conservation Service) runoff‑related hydrological soil groups for South Africa. Developed to support the widespread use of the SCS hydrograph‑generating technique in the country, the dataset assigns SCS hydrological soil groups to each of South Africa’s 27 491 terrain units. The classification is derived by linking SCS soil groups to South African soil series, incorporating key soil texture, drainage, and hydraulic characteristics required for runoff modelling.

The dataset includes a detailed, nationally consistent methodology for defining and mapping hydrological soil groups, along with the resulting spatial layer. Compared with earlier maps based on coarser soil‑land‑type units, this terrain‑unit approach provides significantly enhanced spatial detail, improving the representation of runoff generation processes across catchments nationwide. The final map offers refined input data for hydrological modelling, design flood estimation, and water‑resources applications.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field	Value
Email	vanderLaanM@arc.agric.za
Authors	Author 1 Author first name Water Research Observatory Author surname Admin Email vanderLaanM@arc.agric.za Author organization Water Research Observatory Department Admin Is this author a contact person for the dataset? True
Contact person
Recommended citation	Schulze RE, Schütte S. Mapping SCS hydrological soil groups over South Africa at terrain unit spatial resolution. J. S. Afr. Inst. Civ. Eng. 2023:65(4), Art. #0806, 8 pages.
Did the author / contact organization collect the data?	false
Name of organization that collected the data	University of KwaZulu-Natal
Dataset language	English
Publisher	University of Kwa-Zulu Natal
Publication date	2025-10-22
Project number
License	Open (Creative commons)
License URL
Keywords	SCS model, hydrological soil groups, soils terrain units, mapping, hydrographgenerating technique, terrain-unit approach
Geographic location or bounding box coordinates
Topic category	Hydrological data and modelling
Data structure category	Structured (clearly labelled and in a standardised format)
Uploader estimation of extent to which data have been processed	Access
Is the data time series or static	Static
Data reference date
Alternate identifier	http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2309-8775/2023/v65n4a1
Vertical extent datum	masl
Vertical minimum-maximum extent
I agree to the data management plan and terms and conditions of the WRO	true