Rapid Watershed Assessment

Rapid Watershed Assessments (RWA)

North Dakota NRCS is in the process of developing a Rapid Watershed Assessments (RWA) for each of the state� 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC-8) sub-basins.  RWA� provide an overview of each HUC� current natural resource condition and concerns.  Each RWA organizes the resource information into a document that local conservationists, units of government, watershed groups, and others can use to identify conservation opportunities, set priorities, and determine the best actions to achieve their goals.  Each assessment provides a description of the sub basin� natural resources, resource concerns, and conservation needs. RWAs typically contain the following information:

  • Physical Resources

  • Land Use and Land Cover

  • Water Quality Conditions Report

  • Soil, Stream, Precipitation Data

  • Resource Concerns

  • Census and Social Data

Most of the data for the RWAs is collected through NRCS National Resources Inventories, Census of Agriculture, North Dakota state agencies, including North Dakota Department of Health, and several Geographic Information System (GIS) map layers provided by several state and federal agencies.

Many of the sub-basins are within the boundary of North Dakota, but several sub-basins are shared with the states of Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming and also Canada.  Over the next several years, RWA� will be completed for each of these sub-basins.  The following map identifies the sub-basins within North Dakota to be completed in Fiscal Year 2008.

Picture of ND Map of Watersheds

The following table shows the watersheds completed for 2006/07/08 and links to the RWA.
Each RWA document requires Adobe Reader.

HUC Sub-basins Watershed Name Date Published   HUC Sub-basins Watershed Name Date Published
09010001 Upper Souris September 2007   10110201 Upper Little Missouri September 2007
09010002 Des Lacs September 2007   10110203 Middle Little Missouri September 2007
09010003 Lower Souris August 2008   10110204 Beaver Creek - Little Missouri August 2006
09010004 Willow Creek March 2008   10110205 Lower Little Missouri September 2008
09010005 Deep September 2008   10130101 Painted Woods July 2008
09020105 Western Wild Rice July 2006   10130103 Apple September 2008
09020107 Elm-Marsh May 2006   10130204 Upper Cannonball Revised July 2006
09020109 Goose Creek Revised May 2006   10130205 Cedar River February 2008
09020201 Devils Lake September 2007   10160001 James River Headwaters Revised July 2007
09020202 Upper Sheyenne August 2006   10160002 Pipestem July 2007
09020204 Lower Sheyenne August 2006   10160003 Upper James River Revised July 2007
09020205 Maple River Revised July 2006   10160004 Elm July 2007
09020307 Turtle Pending        
09020310 Park River August 2006        
10110101 Lake Sakakawea August 2008        

North Dakota Program Contact

JoDean W. Nichols
Economist
Phone: 701-530-2093
Email: jodean.nichols@nd.usda.gov