Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) watersheds studies provide in-depth assessments of water quality, water availability, and soil concerns at a finer scale than national or regional assessments.
About CEAP Watersheds Assessments
Water quality concerns related to agriculture affect private landowners, governments, and communities. Through CEAP, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works with agricultural producers and partners including other agencies, universities, conservation districts, and watershed groups to quantify the effects of voluntary conservation on factors such as water quality, water availability, and soil health in select small watersheds across the nation.
There are currently 24 active watershed studies. Findings from these studies strengthen the science base for voluntary conservation, improve conservation planning, refine methods and tools, and ultimately help USDA deliver more focused, strategic conservation opportunities to support productive agricultural lands and environmental benefits nationwide. Additional details on watersheds studies are available on the CEAP Frequently Asked Questions page.
CEAP Watersheds Publications and Relevant Tools
Reports, Articles, and Bibliographies
Publications and Journal Special Issues
- The CEAP Watershed Assessment Studies Network, 2021 (23.7 MB)
- Special Issue: Measuring and Understanding the Effects of Conservation Within Watersheds, 2020, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Volume 69, Issue 5, 2014 – Please note, this publication includes:
- Impact of the Agricultural Research Service Watershed Assessment Studies on the Conservation Effects Assessment Project Cropland National Assessment, 2014, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- A Decade of Conservation Effects Assessment Research by the USDA Agricultural Research Service: Progress Overview and Future Outlook, 2014, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- Impact of Weather and Climate Scenarios on Conservation Assessment Outcomes, 2014, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- Surface Soil Quality in Five Midwestern Cropland Conservation Effects Assessment Project Watersheds, 2014, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- Fine Sediment Sources in Conservation Effects Assessment Project Watersheds, 2014, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- NIFA-CEAP Watershed Synthesis Study, 2012
- Summary
- Seven fact sheets
- Book: How to Build Better Agricultural Conservation Programs to Protect Water Quality, Soil and Water Conservation Society
- Steps to Citizen-based Watershed Planning: A Presentation For Watershed Planners
- CEAP Competitive Grants Special Issue, 2010, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- The Conservation Effects Assessment Project Special Issue, 2008, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- ARS Watershed Assessment Study Plan, 2004 (3.5 MB)
Individual Watershed Reports
- Twenty years of Conservation Effects Assessment in the St. Joseph River Watershed, Indiana, 2023, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- California Central Valley Groundwater Basin: Nitrate Leaching Field Scale Assessment Tools, 2021 (1.0 MB)
- California Central Valley Groundwater Basin: Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment Tool, 2021 (0.9 MB)
- List of Published Papers for the South Fork Iowa River Watershed, 2021 (0.1 MB)
- Validating the Soil Vulnerability Index for a Claypan Watershed, 2016, Catena
- Science Note - Water Quality Effects and Placement of Pasture BMPs in the Spring Creek Watershed (Centre County, PA), 2014 (0.3 MB)
- Influence of Integrated Watershed-scale Agricultural Conservation Practices on Lake Water Quality, 2014, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- Locating Existing Best Management Practices Within a Watershed: The Value of Multiple Methods, 2013, Journal of the American Water Resources Association
- Spatial Considerations in Wet and Dry Periods for Phosphorus in Streams of the Fort Cobb Watershed, United States, 2013, Journal of the American Water Resources Association
- Hydrology and Water Quality of a Field and Riparian Buffer Adjacent to a Mangrove Wetland in Jobos Bay Watershed, Puerto Rico, 2012, Ecological Engineering
- Characterization of Land-Based Sources of Pollution in Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico: Status of Heavy Metal Concentration in Bed Sediment, 2012, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
- A Baseline Assessment of the Ecological Resources of Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico, 2011, NOAA Technical Memorandum
- ARS Chesapeake Bay Research Intensifies, 2010, Agricultural Research
- Wood River Project Final Report, 2010 (2.9 MB)
- Choptank River Project Final Report, 2009 (3.8 MB)
- Federal-State Partnership Yields Success in Remote Sensing Analysis of Conservation Practice Effectiveness: Results from the Choptank River Conservation Effects Assessment Project, 2009, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- Sprague River CEAP Study Report, 2009 (5.2 MB)
- ARS's Quest To Improve the Chesapeake Bay, 2006, Agricultural Research
- Black Willow Cutting Survival in Streambank Plantings, Southeastern United States, 2006, Journal of the American Water Resources Association
- Cumulative Uncertainty in Measured Streamflow and Water Quality Data for Small Watersheds, 2006, Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
- Long Term Water Quality Responses to Conservation Practices in Nested Coastal Plain Watersheds, 2006 (2.8 MB)
- The Costs and Benefits of Conservation Practices in Iowa, 2006, Iowa Ag Review Online
- St. Joseph River CEAP Watershed Update, 2005 (3.1 MB)
Individual Watershed Summaries
- Beasley Lake Watershed Summary, 2021 (1.5 MB)
- Blanchard River Watershed Summary, 2021 (1.2 MB)
- Choptank River Watershed Summary, 2021 (1.4 MB)
- Goodwin Creek Experimental Watershed Summary, 2021 (1.4 MB)
- Kaweah River Watershed Summary, 2021 (0.8 MB)
- Lake Champlain Basin Summary, 2021 (1.4 MB)
- Little River Watershed Summary, 2021 (1.8 MB)
- Little River Ditches & Lower St. Francis Watersheds Summary, 2021 (1.4 MB)
- Mahantango Creek Watershed Summary, 2021 (1.4 MB)
- Mark Twain/Salt River and Goodwater Creek Watersheds Summary, 2021 (1.3 MB)
- Riesel Watersheds/Grassland Research Summary, 2021 (0.8 MB)
- South Fork, Iowa River Watershed Summary, 2021 (1.3 MB)
- St. Joseph River Watershed Summary, 2021 (1.5 MB)
- Upper Snake/Rock Watershed Summary, 2021 (1.3 MB)
- Upper Washita River Watersheds Summary, 2021 (1.4 MB)
- Walnut Creek Watershed Summary, 2021 (1.2 MB)
- Western Lake Erie Basin, Upper Big Walnut Creek, and Upper Wabash River Summary, 2021 (1.0 MB)
Other Journal Articles
- Fighting Nitrate in the Trenches, 2012, Agricultural Research
- The Challenge of Documenting Water Quality Benefits of Conservation Practices: A Review of USDA-ARS's Conservation Effects Assessment Project Watershed Studies, 2011, Water Science and Technology
- Effects of Hydrology and Field Management on Phosphorus Transport in Surface Runoff, 2009, Journal of Environmental Quality
- Using Satellite Remote Sensing to Estimate Winter Cover Crop Nutrient Uptake Efficiency, 2009, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- Adapting Existing Models to Examine Effects of Agricultural Conservation Programs on Stream Habitat Quality, 2006, Journal of the American Water Resources Association
- Compilation of Measured Nutrient Load Data for Agricultural Land Uses in the United States, 2006, Journal of the American Water Resources Association
- Evaluation of the Importance of Channel Processes in CEAP-Watershed Suspended-Sediment Yields, 2006
- Practical Guidance for Discharge and Water Quality Data Collection on Small Watersheds, 2006, Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
- STEWARDS—for Access to Vital Watershed Data, 2006, Agricultural Research
- Conservation: Are We Getting Our Money's Worth?, 2005, Agricultural Research
- Uncertainty in Measured Sediment and Nutrient Flux in Runoff from Small Agricultural Watersheds, 2005, Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
- Comparison of Time-Based Sampling Strategies to Determine Nitrogen Loading in Plot-Scale Runoff, 2004, Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
- Automated Storm Water Sampling on Small Watersheds, 2003, Applied Engineering in Agriculture
Fact Sheets: Science Notes
Webinars, Blogs, and Videos
Conservation Outcomes Webinars
- October 27, 2022 – Addressing Water Quality Outcomes Through Nutrient and Water Management: Webinar Recording, Presentation Slides, and Additional Resources One-Pager
- May 27, 2021 – When it Rains, it Pours: Conservation Considerations for Resiliency in a Changing Climate: Webinar Recording and Presentation Slides
- January 28, 2021 – Development of the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework and Use by NRCS for Watershed Planning: Webinar Recording
- May 28, 2020 – Measuring and Understanding the Effects of Conservation within Watersheds: Webinar Recording
Blog
Ask the Expert: A Q&A on Water Quality Outcomes of Voluntary Conservation with Lisa Duriancik
Video
Science-Based Solutions: Leveraging Partnerships to Protect the Western Lake Erie Basin
Phosphorus Modeling Documents
- Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Brief, 2021 (0.2 MB)
- Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Slides, 2021 (4.2 MB)
- Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Video, 2021 (145 MB)
- Agricultural Policy/Environmental Extender (APEX) Brief, 2021 (0.1 MB)
- Agricultural Policy/Environmental Extender (APEX) Slides, 2021 (2.0 MB)
- Agricultural Policy/Environmental Extender (APEX) Video, 2021 (123 MB)
- Annual P Loss Estimator (APLE) Brief, 2021 (0.4 MB)
- Annual P Loss Estimator (APLE) Slides part 1, 2021 (1.2 MB)
- Annual P Loss Estimator (APLE) Slides part 2, 2021 (0.6 MB)
- Annual P Loss Estimator (APLE) Video, 2021 (175 MB)
- Annualized Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Model Brief, 2021 (0.2 MB)
- Annualized Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Model Slides, 2021 (2.3 MB)
- Annualized Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Model Video, 2021 (150 MB)
- SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) Brief, 2021 (0.4 MB)
- SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) Slides, 2021 (2.3 MB)
- SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) Video, 2021 (214 MB)
- Chesapeake Bay Program's Watershed Model Brief, 2021 (0.1 MB)
- Chesapeake Bay Program's Watershed Model Slides, 2021 (2.2 MB)
- Chesapeake Bay Program's Watershed Model Video, 2021 (156 MB)
- Riverine Processes Working Group Summary, 2021 (0.1 MB)
- Surface/Subsurface Loss Mechanisms Working Group Summary, 2021 (0.1 MB)
Tools
Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework
The Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) is a web-based resource that supports targeted, strategic conservation planning at the small watershed scale. ACPF was developed by USDA’s Agricultural Resource Service in collaboration with NRCS.
ACPF consists of a framework of conservation priorities that may improve watershed health, databases for select hydrologic unit code (HUC)-12 watersheds across the upper Midwest, and a toolbox for use in ArcGIS. Users, including conservationists and other planners, may leverage this resource to identify high-risk areas for targeted conservation and to generate suites of site-specific conservation opportunities and associated output maps to inform future conservation efforts. ACPF data are currently available for Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin and parts of Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Visit the ACPF website to learn more and directly access this resource with supporting materials.
CEAP Watersheds Highlights
The below highlights represent recent resources and key findings released by CEAP on watershed-scale conservation efforts and outcomes. Visit this webpage frequently to see what's new, or browse the above publications to access hundreds of published resources from CEAP watersheds assessments.
The Conservation Effects Assessment Project Watershed Assessment Studies Network
This 2021 publication details a network of watershed studies to quantify the effects of conservation practices on water quality, water availability, and soil health within small watersheds. Research findings to date are provided for 23 watershed studies at 18 locations.
Addressing Water Quality Outcomes Through Nutrient and Water Management
This Conservation Outcomes Webinar highlights the science that supports water quality outcomes that can be achieved through SMART nutrient and water management strategies. The presenter is Dr. Kevin King of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.
Ask the Expert: A Q&A on Water Quality Outcomes of Voluntary Conservation with Lisa Duriancik
This Ask the Expert features Lisa Duriancik, CEAP Watersheds Lead. Lisa answers questions about efforts to quantify the effects of voluntary conservation on water quality in fields and selected watersheds and shares management recommendations to support both water quality and production goals.
Science-Based Solutions: Leveraging Partnerships to Protect the Western Lake Erie Basin
This 21-minute video shows how CEAP watershed studies in the Western Lake Erie Basin bring researchers, farmers, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations together to develop science-based solutions and strategically place them to deliver the greatest conservation benefits.
Twenty Years of Conservation Effects Assessment in the St. Joseph River Watershed, Indiana
This article from the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation was published in 2023 and highlights the major findings, accomplishments, and impacts of 20 years of research and assessment in the St. Joseph River watershed through a CEAP partnership.
Additional Resources
Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP)
USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) is a multi-agency effort led by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to quantify the effects of conservation practices across the nation’s working lands.
Learn MoreFrequently Asked Questions | Conservation Effects Assessment Project
This webpage provides answers to frequently asked questions about the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP).
Last Updated: April 17, 2023
Learn MorePublications | Conservation Effects Assessment Project
USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project, CEAP, provides a suite of publications highlighting the effects of voluntary conservation across the nation’s working lands.
Learn MoreConservation Outcomes Webinar Series
The Conservation Outcomes Webinar Series provides key findings, data, and tools to support producers and partners in pursuing voluntary conservation efforts across the nation's working lands.
Learn More