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soil field plants

Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act (RCA)

The Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act (RCA) of 1977, as amended, provides the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) broad strategic assessment and planning authority for the conservation, protection, and enhancement of soil, water, and related natural resources.

Through RCA, USDA:

  • appraises the status and trends of soil, water, and related resources on non-Federal land and assesses their capability to meet present and future demands;
  • evaluates current and needed programs, policies, and authorities; and
  • develops a national soil and water conservation program to give direction to USDA soil and water conservation activities.
Dashboards for NRCS Program and Natural Resources Data

RCA Data Viewer

New data visualization tools are now available on the RCA Data Viewer. Users can graph, map, and download customized datasets based on practices applied through NRCS programs and survey data on land use, soil erosion, and prime farmland from the National Resources Inventory (NRI).

RCA Related Data and Publications

Conservation Practices and Programs
Land Resources
Confined Livestock and Manure Nutrients
Conservation Outcomes

Conservation Outcomes Team