Water Resources

NACD's mission is to serve conservation districts by providing national leadership and a unified voice for natural resource conservation.

Water is a basic resource upon which all forms of life depend. It is found everywhere; whether in abundance in streams, lakes, and oceans, in tiny molecules in the soil and air, or frozen in high altitude snow packs. It is a collective resource which we cannot do without. Whether a drop of water falls on a field of crops or a suburban driveway, it eventually ends up in a body of water, flowing downstream for someone or something else to use.

Conservation of our water resources is a goal of conservation districts. Whether helping farmers improve and protect water quality with proper management of nutrients, or working with urban landowners on reducing stormwater runoff, conservation districts serve as a vital link in providing technical information and assistance to landowners. Water can present problems when there is too little or too much. Conservation districts also work with a variety of stakeholders in managing water quantity to help ensure a sufficient supply exists to meet a variety of needs.

Below are specific areas in which conservation districts work on water resources:

Water Quality
NACD and conservation districts can address a variety of water quality issues including:

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO)
Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL)
Water Quality Trading
Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia

Water Quantity
Conservation districts work to mitigate the impact of water supply regarding:

Drought
Stormwater