diff --git a/ldt/configs/ldt.config.adoc b/ldt/configs/ldt.config.adoc
index 0ca2343ba..c7aa2c29c 100644
--- a/ldt/configs/ldt.config.adoc
+++ b/ldt/configs/ldt.config.adoc
@@ -1633,7 +1633,7 @@ Soil texture spatial transform:     none
 
 `Soil texture fill value for Antarctica:` indicates which soil texture value to be used if an arbitrary value fill is needed south of 60S. If not specified, value of `Soil texture fill value:` will be used.
 
-`Soil texture force exclusion of water points during fill:` indicates whether to force exclusion of water points when filling soil texture. Required when using STATSGOFAO south of 60S (texture is set to all water) and multiple surface model types are used.
+`Soil texture force exclusion of water points during fill:` indicates whether to force exclusion of water points when filling soil texture. Required when using STATSGOFAO, south of 60S (i.e., texture is set to all water), and multiple surface model types (e.g., LSM and Openwater) are used.
 
 [cols="<,<",]
 |===
@@ -1759,7 +1759,7 @@ Curvature number of bands:     1
 
 Topography maps
 
-`Elevation map:` specifies the elevation of the LIS grid. If the elevation map type selected is SRTM_Native, then the elevation file entry is actually just the directory path, which contains the tiled SRTM elevation files.
+`Elevation map:` specifies the elevation of the LIS grid. If the elevation map type selected is SRTM_Native, then the elevation file entry is actually just the directory path, which contains the tiled SRTM elevation files. Note: The SRTM tiles only go to 60deg S, and south of that the associated SRTM reader can fill in with GTOPO30 Antarctica tile files.
 
 `Slope map:` specifies the slope of the LIS grid. If the slope map type selected is SRTM_Native, then the file entry is actually just the directory path, which contains the tiled SRTM elevation files.  
 
diff --git a/ldt/core/LDT_soilsMod.F90 b/ldt/core/LDT_soilsMod.F90
index dd750988c..fb6d591b4 100644
--- a/ldt/core/LDT_soilsMod.F90
+++ b/ldt/core/LDT_soilsMod.F90
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ subroutine soils_init_LIS()
     enddo
 
  !- Soil texture:
-    if( check_data) then 
+    if( check_data ) then 
 
       do n=1,LDT_rc%nnest
          if( INDEX(LDT_LSMparam_struc(n)%texture%source,"STATSGO") > 0 ) then
@@ -537,9 +537,9 @@ subroutine soils_init_LIS()
          end if
 
          ! EMK...Allow option to force exclusion of water points when
-         ! filling soil texture.  Necessary when using STATSGOFAO south of
-         ! 60S (texture set to all water) and multiple surface model types
-         ! are used.
+         ! filling soil texture.  Necessary when using STATSGOFAO, south of
+         ! 60S (i.e., texture set to all water) and multiple surface model types
+         ! (e.g., LSM and Openwater) are used.
          ! If option not specified, set to false.
 
          call ESMF_ConfigFindLabel(LDT_config, &
@@ -549,7 +549,17 @@ subroutine soils_init_LIS()
             call ESMF_ConfigGetAttribute(LDT_config, soiltext%force_exclude_water, &
                  label="Soil texture force exclusion of water points during fill:",rc=rc)
          else
-            soiltext%force_exclude_water = .false.
+            if(( INDEX(LDT_LSMparam_struc(1)%texture%source,"STATSGO") > 0 ) .and. &
+               ( LDT_rc%nsf_model_types > 1 )) then
+               write(LDT_logunit,*) "[INFO] Setting 'Soil texture force exclusion of water points during fill:'"
+               write(LDT_logunit,*) "     to '.true.', since STATSGOFAO and surface model types > 1 in ldt.config file."
+               soiltext%force_exclude_water = .true.
+            else
+               write(LDT_logunit,*) "[INFO] Setting 'Soil texture force exclusion of water points during fill:'"
+               write(LDT_logunit,*) "     to '.false.', since it is not specified in the ldt.config file and "
+               write(LDT_logunit,*) "     STATSGOFAO is not present nor surface model types > 1."
+               soiltext%force_exclude_water = .false.
+            endif
          end if
 
        elseif( soiltext%filltype == "none" ) then
@@ -1239,9 +1249,9 @@ subroutine soils_init_LISHydro(flag)
          end if
 
          ! EMK...Allow option to force exclusion of water points when
-         ! filling soil texture.  Necessary when using STATSGOFAO south of
-         ! 60S (texture set to all water) and multiple surface model types
-         ! are used.
+         ! filling soil texture.  Necessary when using STATSGOFAO, south of
+         ! 60S (i.e., texture set to all water) and multiple surface model types
+         ! (e.g., LSM and Openwater) are used.
          ! If option not specified, set to false.
 
          call ESMF_ConfigFindLabel(LDT_config, &
@@ -1251,7 +1261,17 @@ subroutine soils_init_LISHydro(flag)
             call ESMF_ConfigGetAttribute(LDT_config, soiltext%force_exclude_water, &
                  label="Soil texture force exclusion of water points during fill:",rc=rc)
          else
-            soiltext%force_exclude_water = .false.
+            if(( INDEX(LDT_LSMparam_struc(1)%texture%source,"STATSGO") > 0 ) .and. &
+               ( LDT_rc%nsf_model_types > 1 )) then
+               write(LDT_logunit,*) "[INFO] Setting 'Soil texture force exclusion of water points during fill:'"
+               write(LDT_logunit,*) "     to '.true.', since STATSGOFAO and surface model types > 1 in ldt.config file."
+               soiltext%force_exclude_water = .true.
+            else
+               write(LDT_logunit,*) "[INFO] Setting 'Soil texture force exclusion of water points during fill:'"
+               write(LDT_logunit,*) "     to '.false.', since it is not specified in the ldt.config file and "
+               write(LDT_logunit,*) "     STATSGOFAO is not present nor surface model types > 1."
+               soiltext%force_exclude_water = .false.
+            endif
          end if
 
        elseif( soiltext%filltype == "none" ) then
diff --git a/ldt/params/topo/read_SRTM_Native_aspect.F90 b/ldt/params/topo/read_SRTM_Native_aspect.F90
index 465c7057b..60108c484 100644
--- a/ldt/params/topo/read_SRTM_Native_aspect.F90
+++ b/ldt/params/topo/read_SRTM_Native_aspect.F90
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ subroutine read_SRTM_Native_aspect( n, num_bins, fgrd, aspectave )
 !  This subroutine retrieves static elevation data from the SRTM source
 !  and reprojects it to the latlon projection. 
 !
+!  NOTE:  SRTM "Native" ~1km files do not include areas south of 60degS.
+!         GTOPO30 elevation tiles can be read in, since they include points
+!         south of 60degS (Antarctica).
+!
 !  Source information:
 !   http://dds.cr.usgs.gov/srtm/version2_1/SRTM30/
 !
diff --git a/ldt/params/topo/read_SRTM_Native_elev.F90 b/ldt/params/topo/read_SRTM_Native_elev.F90
index 4d2c4649e..72a6695da 100644
--- a/ldt/params/topo/read_SRTM_Native_elev.F90
+++ b/ldt/params/topo/read_SRTM_Native_elev.F90
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ subroutine read_SRTM_Native_elev( n, num_bins, fgrd, elevave )
 !  This subroutine retrieves static elevation data from the SRTM source
 !  and reprojects it to the latlon projection. 
 !
+!  NOTE:  SRTM "Native" ~1km files do not include areas south of 60degS.
+!         GTOPO30 elevation tiles can be read in, since they include points
+!         south of 60degS (Antarctica).
+!
 !  Source information:
 !   http://dds.cr.usgs.gov/srtm/version2_1/SRTM30/
 !
diff --git a/ldt/params/topo/read_SRTM_Native_slope.F90 b/ldt/params/topo/read_SRTM_Native_slope.F90
index 53a5df248..8fe5ae01a 100644
--- a/ldt/params/topo/read_SRTM_Native_slope.F90
+++ b/ldt/params/topo/read_SRTM_Native_slope.F90
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ subroutine read_SRTM_Native_slope( n, num_bins, fgrd, slopeave )
 !  This subroutine retrieves static elevation data from the SRTM source
 !  and reprojects it to the latlon projection. 
 !
+!  NOTE:  SRTM "Native" ~1km files do not include areas south of 60degS.
+!         GTOPO30 elevation tiles can be read in, since they include points
+!         south of 60degS (Antarctica).
+!
 !  Source information:
 !   http://dds.cr.usgs.gov/srtm/version2_1/SRTM30/
 !