An official website of the United States government.
About WAIC
WAIC curates research-based scientific materials and tools describing the relationship between agricultural management systems and natural resource quality and quantity in support of the USDA’s commitment to protecting the nation’s water resources.
Funding Opportunity Announcements
(Review the Agricultural Funding Resources by Topic page "Water and Agriculture" section for additional resources.)
- Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program (EPA) - Application deadline 11:59 PM Eastern on May 10, 2024.
- This grant program will support demonstration projects and capacity building projects that expand watershed protection activities in healthy freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems country-wide. Webinars will also be hosted. Information at link above.
- Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) - Rolling application through September 30, 2024.
- CRP is a voluntary program that contracts with agricultural producers to dedicate environmentally sensitive agricultural land to conservation benefits. In return for rental payments, participants establish long-term goals with vegetative species to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat.
- Forest Landowner Support Program (Track B) - Rolling applications reviewed quarterly, final deadline August 21, 2024.
- USDA Forest Service program designed to assist underserved forest landowners in emerging markets to mitigate climate effects and/or improve resiliency. Details on webinars and office hours included.
- Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
- ACEP is a voluntary program that helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands or protect working farms and ranches through conservation easements.
Bulletins
Pollinator Niches and Agricultural Landscapes (9/2023)
Coevolution between animals and plants has resulted in pollination niches where certain flowers and fauna can only be fertilized by a subset of pollinators. Agricultural Environment Management (AEM) helps to minimize impacts of production agriculture on our natural resources.
Tools and Reports
Data Visualizations [usda.gov]
A selection of interactive data visualization charts that map topics of importance including U.S. Agricultural Baseline Projections, Annual Value of State Exports, Commodity Costs and Returns, U.S. Agricultural Exports and Imports (by commodity), and more.
Increasing the Value of Animal Manure for Farmers [usda.gov]
Report of study describes existing and emerging technologies designed to increase value potential of animal manures or reduce manure management costs.
Policy Instruments for Protecting Environmental Quality [usda.gov]
Selected programs and policies for addressing environmental effects of agriculture. Includes educational/vocational, labeling, incentive programs, and more.
News
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Precision Agriculture: Benefits and Challenges for Technology Adoption and Use
This GAO report outlines emerging precision agriculture technologies and adoption, federal programs providing support, benefits and challenges of adopting and using precision agriculture technologies.
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NRCS Soil and Plant Science Division Completes Annual Soils Refresh (ASR)
The ASR has been updated and can be accessed through either the Web Soil Survey (WSS) or Soil Data Access (SDA). Major enhancements include additions of 56 million acres of new soil data, 36,000 new soil polygons, and 16,000 new soil components - among other exciting features.
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USDA To Provide Additional Financial Assistance to Qualifying Guaranteed Farm Loan Borrowers Facing Financial Risk
The USDA will begin providing qualifying guaranteed Farm Loan Program (FLP) borrowers experiencing financial risk with additional, automatic financial assistance.
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Irrigation Organizations: Water Inflows and Outflows
The report is the fourth in a series of economic briefs on key topics related to irrigation organizations using data collected in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2019 Survey of Irrigation Organizations.
Collaborations
Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network
The USDA LTAR research network is designed to sustain crop and livestock production and ecosystem services from agroecosystems.
USDA Climate Hubs
The USDA Climate Hubs link USDA research and program agencies in their regional delivery of timely and authoritative tools and information to agricultural producers and professionals.
Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP)
USDA's CEAP is a multi-agency effort led by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to quantify the effects of conservation practices and programs on agricultural land.
WAIC Background
The Water Quality Information Center (WQIC) was established in 1990 in support of the USDA’s dedication to protecting the Nation’s water from contamination by agricultural chemicals and waste. The Center’s name was subsequently changed (2016) to reflect the inclusion of related conservation topics augmenting mitigation practices.
WAIC serves a variety of water-resource professionals, including scientists, policy makers, economists, engineers, and growers. The Center collaborates regularly with other federal agencies and organizations pursuing similar interests.
Contact Us
Use the National Agricultural Library's Ask a Question
Questions will be answered by WAIC Technical Information Specialists.
Phone: (301) 504-6077
Sign Up
To sign up for the Water and Agricultural Information Center Listserv go to USDA Agricultural Research Service (govdelivery.com) and find us under the National Agricultural Library.