United States Department of Agriculture

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2024 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the Watersheds report, which provides data that supplement the 2022 Census of Agriculture, Volume 1. Watersheds is the first of six Subject Series reports to be released for this Census of Agriculture. The Watersheds report breaks down select ag census data – including farms, land in farms, land use and practices, fertilizer and chemical use, and select commodities – by the 6-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (watershed) boundaries, providing data users yet another way to review and compare ag census information.

“Subject Series publications like Watersheds augment the already expansive collection of data from the Census of Agriculture,” said NASS Administrator Joseph Parsons. “Anyone concerned about the health of a given body of water or watershed should be interested in these data. The Watersheds publication provides agricultural and environmental data users with a novel way to examine and compare ag census data, in addition to the nationwide, state, county, and congressional district-level data NASS provided earlier this year.”

The type of data provided in the Watersheds report can be used by researchers, community organizations, policymakers and producers themselves to help assess the impact or potential impact of agriculture on the environment and surrounding bodies of water. The data can help inform decisions about government programs and grants and policies affecting producers, communities, and the agriculture industry.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the United States is divided into 20 regions (2-digit Hydrologic Unit Code level). Eighteen of the regions occupy the land area of the contiguous United States, Alaska constitutes region 19, and the Hawaiian Islands are region 20. These regions are subdivided into over 200 subregions (4-digit Hydrologic Unit Code level) based on water flow patterns from the major rivers within the region. The subregions are further divided into watersheds (6-digit Hydrologic Unit Code level). To access the Watersheds report, visit nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022.

Also, available through the NASS website for the 2022 ag census are the Market Value of Ag Products Rankings; State and County Profiles; Congressional District Profiles and Rankings; and the Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Profiles. In addition, the 2022 Puerto Rico Census of Agriculture data were released July 18 and can be viewed on NASS’s ag census web page.

Upcoming ag census releases include the American Indian Reservations Report on Aug. 29; Ag Census Web Maps on Sept. 10; the Specialty Crops publication on Oct. 17; and Zip Code Tabulations on Nov. 7. Other products to be released this summer and fall include additional ag census Highlights publications found on the NASS website at nass.usda.gov/Publications/Highlights. Census of Agriculture Highlights cover topics such as producer demographics, commodity specifics, and more.

Spanning more than 6 million data points about America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them, the full ag census report can be accessed at nass.usda.gov/AgCensus. Ag census data can also be found in NASS’s searchable online database, Quick Stats.

In preparation for the 2027 Census of Agriculture, NASS is already asking for content change suggestions and for new producers who did not receive a 2022 Census of Agriculture questionnaire last year to sign up to be counted in future censuses and surveys. Both forms can be found at nass.usda.gov.