Know SWET for CSP

By using a farmer’s self-reported cropland management practices, the Soil and Water Eligibility Tool (SWET) can measure the relative conservation effort being applied to address soil and water quality. SWET evaluates management practices based on their contribution to each soil function or water quality concern.  The soil properties that SWET scores include organic matter, nutrient cycling, soil habitat, physical stability, and moisture management.  The water quality properties SWET scores are sediment, salinity, and surface and groundwater pesticides, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

Building on the Water Quality Eligibility Tool that was used for the 2006 Conservation Security Program (CSP), SWET provides a nationally uniform and equitable method to evaluate conservation effort.  As such, SWET will be used to determine eligibility for the 2008 CSP.  The SWET aggregate score will also be used to prioritize 2008 CSP applications into categories.

SWET is currently undergoing review to evaluate farmer ability to understand and use the tool and to analyze equity perceptions based on crop, program use and geographic location. Validation of the relationship between management intensity captured in SWET and environmental outcomes for soil and water quality is also underway.

Your contacts are National Technology Development team leaders Susan Andrews at 336-370-3337 and Shaun McKinney at 503-273-2413.