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Engineering

Our Vision:

Excellence in Conservation, by Design

Our Mission: 

Leading Innovative Engineering Solutions to Natural Resource Conservation

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The NRCS applies sound engineering tools and principles to plan, design, and implement conservation practices and systems through delegated approval authority.
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Engineering assistance can be obtained from NRCS field offices, area offices, state offices, national centers, and the Conservation Engineering Division in Washington, DC.
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The NRCS Conservation Engineering Division (CED) provides national technical leadership to engineering and environmental functions throughout the agency.  Please view CED's Roles and Responsibilities. 
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The Conservation Engineering Division advises on agency technical activities, policy development and emerging key engineering issues: Farm Bill Technical Support, Field Office Technical Guide, Snow Survey/ Water Supply Forecasting, Aging Watershed Infrastructure, Animal Manure Management, Air Quality/ Water Quality, Dam Safety and Security, Disaster Recovery.

Additional Information

Engineering Field Tools (EFT)

The Engineering Field Tools (EFT) is a framework of engineering tools for field office individuals to plan and design commonly applied conservation practices.  Currently there are four applications within the EFT, Survey Engineering Tool (SET), Grassed Waterway Design Tool (WDT), Terrace Design Tool (TDT), and Hydraulic Formulas Tool (HFT).  These tools not only support the planner in creating a design, but also create reports that can be used as design documentation and as final construction drawings to hand to a contractor for construction.

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National Design, Construction, and Soil Mechanics Center

Welcome to the NRCS National Design, Construction, and Soil Mechanics Center (NDCSMC) website.  The NDCSMC provides NRCS with interdisciplinary technical support for design, construction, operation, and rehabilitation of complex engineering projects essential to resource conservation, environmental enhancement, and agricultural productivity.

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National Water Management Center

The National Water Management Center (NWMC), located in Little Rock, Arkansas, serves as a focal point for water resources information exchange.  It is the support center for NRCS helping to address water resource problems across the nation by providing leadership, direct assistance, information and technology for natural resources conservation.

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National Water and Climate Center

Most of the annual streamflow in the western United States originates as snowfall that has accumulated in the mountains during the winter and early spring. As snowpack accumulates each year, NRCS hydrologists measure the snow and estimate the runoff that will occur when it melts.

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