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A wetland with green plants and standing water, with light blue skies above.

Wetland Assessments

Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) wetland assessments quantify the effects of voluntary conservation efforts for wetlands located in agricultural settings at both regional and national scales.

About Wetland Assessments

Wetlands occur where water covers the soil or is present near the soil surface either seasonally or year-round. They include marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens. Beyond providing wildlife habitat and increasing biodiversity, wetlands serve to remove sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants, contain floodwaters, and store carbon. Through CEAP, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) develops monitoring and modeling processes that improve wetland conservation efforts on private working lands.

CEAP wetland assessments across multiple scales inform voluntary conservation actions for a diversity of land managers and partners by improving predictions of responses in wetland functions and ecosystem services. Details on the methods for CEAP wetland assessments are available on the CEAP Frequently Asked Questions page.

Wetland Publications

Reports, Articles, and Bibliographies
Wetlands in the foreground, with a tree line and light blue skies in the background.

The below publications provide data and associated insights on the effects of voluntary conservation across the nation's wetlands. Categories include reports and articles and bibliographies. Within each category publications are organized in descending order by date.

Reports and Articles

Prairie Pothole Region

Mid-Atlantic Region

High Plains – Playa Lakes


Southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain

Great Lakes – Glaciated Interior Plain

Mississippi Alluvial Valley

California Central Valley

General

Bibliography

Fact Sheets: Conservation Insights and Science Notes
Wetlands, with blooming plants in the foreground and tress below blue skies in the background.

The below fact sheets include Conservation Insights and Science Notes on the effects of voluntary conservation on wetlands. Fact sheets within each category are organized in descending order by date.

Conservation Insights

Science Notes

Croplands


Prairie Pothole Region

Mid-Atlantic Region

California Central Valley

Webinars and Blogs
Wetlands with a bird box, with cloudy blue skies above.

The below Conservation Outcomes Webinar recordings feature scientists and other subject matter experts speaking on the effects of voluntary conservation across the nation's wetlands. Blogs related to CEAP wetland assessments are also included. Webinar recordings are organized in descending order by date. Visit the Conservation Outcomes Webinar Series webpage to access information on upcoming webinars.

Conservation Outcomes Webinars

Blogs

CEAP Wetland Highlights

The below highlights represent recent resources and key findings released by CEAP on wetland conservation efforts and outcomes. Visit this webpage frequently to see what's new, or browse the above publications to access a range of published resources from CEAP wetland assessments.
 

Conservation Insight Fact Sheet

Storage and Release of Water in Coastal Plain Wetlandscapes

This Conservation Insight Fact Sheet shares findings from four contrasting coastal plain wetlandscapes in Florida that show that hydrological exchanges among wetlands increase five-fold when connected via surface pathways.

Coastal Floria Wetland

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.

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Frequently Asked Questions | Conservation Effects Assessment Project

This webpage provides answers to frequently asked questions about the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP).

Last Updated: June 9, 2023

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Publications | 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. 

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Conservation 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. 

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Joe Prenger

Wetland Lead, Conservation Effects Assessment Project