Agriculture

Globally, the agricultural sector consumes about 70% of the planet’s accessible freshwater. Because water is vital for the success of agriculture, proper water management techniques are necessary to meet food and fiber material demands around the world. Resources available here pay special attention to efficient irrigation and sustainable agriculture techniques.

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Agriculture Resources

Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX)

U.S. Department of Agriculture
The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model was developed for use in whole farm/small watershed management. The model was constructed to evaluate various land management strategies considering sustainability, erosion (wind, sheet, and channel), economics, water supply and quality,...Read more

Soil and Water Assessment Tool

U.S. Department of Agriculture
The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a public domain model jointly developed by USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, part of The Texas A&M University System. SWAT is a small watershed to river basin-scale model to simulate the quality and...Read more
Regional focus: 
Global

Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Model

U.S. Department of Agriculture
AGNPS is a tool for use in evaluating the effect of management decisions impacting water, sediment and chemical loadings within a watershed system. The term "AGNPS" now refers to the system of modeling components instead of the single event AGNPS, which was discontinued in the mid-1990...Read more

A Procedure to Estimate the Response of Aquatic Systems to Changes in Phosphorous and Nitrogen Inputs

Published: 
October 1, 1999
U.S. Department of Agriculture
This document provides a simple assessment procedure to estimate the responsiveness of a waterbody to changes in the supply (loading) of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). Lakes, rivers, streams, and estuaries may be assessed with this procedure. Few data about the waterbody are required. The...Read more

Stream Visual Assessment Protocol: Procedure to Evaluate the Condition of a Stream Based on Visual Characteristics

Published: 
December 1, 1998
U.S. Department of Agriculture
This assessment protocol provides a basic level of stream health evaluation. It can be successfully applied by conservationists with little biological or hydrological training. It is intended to be conducted with the landowner and incorporates talking points for the conservationist to use during...Read more

National Water Quality Handbook: Definitive USDA Resource for Water Quality Technical Information, Guidance and Procedures

Published: 
September 1, 2003
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Water quality is an important natural resource concern for the Nation. Being a lead natural resource technical agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has developed this handbook as a principal reference pertaining to water quality as it relates to all agricultural land uses. The...Read more

Waters Supply Stress Index

Published: 
March 1, 2012
U.S. Department of Agriculture
To help natural resource planners and managers evaluate the balances and tradeoffs between these ecosystem services and make informed decisions in light of changing environmental conditions, Eastern Threat Center scientists have developed a web-based assessment tool known as the Water Supply Stress...Read more

Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems- Level II Inventory Field Guide

Published: 
March 1, 2012
U.S. Department of Agriculture
This Level II field guide describes a national protocol to supply data used in project identification and planning. Data collected through this field guide serve as the basis for the assessment of project and activity effects on, and the identification of project-level design and mitigation...Read more

Watershed Condition Classification Technical Guide

Published: 
July 1, 2011
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The watershed condition goal of the Forest Service is to protect National Forest System watersheds by implementing practices designed to maintain or improve watershed condition, which is the foundation for sustaining ecosystems and the production of renewable natural resources, values, and benefits...Read more

Water, Climate Change and Forests: A Report on Effects of and Responses to Climate Change's Impacts on Watersheds

Published: 
June 1, 2010
U.S. Department of Agriculture
This report describes some adaptation opportunities associated with forest management, specifically in the context of water and aquatic ecosystems. The first two sections describe the importance of forests to the Nation's water resources and summarize observed and projected effects of climate...Read more

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