The NRCS in Colorado developed Rapid Watershed Assessments (RWAs) from 2007-2010 to provide a natural resource snapshot and overview of each Colorado 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC 8). The RWA's organize resource information into one document that local conservationists, units of government, and others can use to identify conservation opportunities and direct technical and financial resources to the appropriate subbasins. They provide a description of the sub basins' natural resources, resource concerns, conservation needs, and ability to resolve natural resource issues and concerns. 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
Progress/status of conservation by land use
Estimated future conservation practice application and associated costs