The goal of the CSREES Northern Plains and Mountains Water Quality Program is to protect and improve the quality of water resources throughout the United States and its territories through research, education and extension efforts. To further the research efforts of Region 8, related water resources research information can be located by clicking on a state link on the left margin.

The research projects presented for each state are taken primarily from the Current Research Information System (CRIS). CRIS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) documentation and reporting system for ongoing and recently completed research projects in agriculture, food and nutrition, and forestry. Projects are conducted or sponsored by USDA research agencies, state agricultural experiment stations, the state land-grant university system, other cooperating state institutions, and participants in a number of USDA-administered grant programs, including Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), National Research Initiative (NRI), and Biotechnology Risk Assessment (BRAG). CRIS is a part of Information Systems and Technology Management (ISTM), Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), and is located in the Waterfront Centre in Washington, DC.