1930

Farmers made up 22% of the labor force.

1932

Dust Bowl: persistent drought conditions on the Great Plains caused widespread crop failures and exposed the region’s soil to blowing wind.

1933

National Industrial Recovery Act: Soil Erosion Service (SES) established in Department of the Interior; Hugh Hammond Bennett, “father of soil conservation”, was named Chief.

1934

Dust storm on May 11, 1934 swept fine soil particles over Washington, D.C. and three hundred miles out into the Atlantic Ocean.

1935

On March 6 and again on March 21, 1935 dust clouds passed over Washington, D.C. and darkened the sky just as Congress commenced hearings on a proposed soil conservation law. Hugh Hammond Bennett holds court with Congress.

Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act: SES moved to USDA and renamed Soil Conservation Service (SCS); Hugh Hammond Bennett named Director.

Bankhead-Jones Act: provided expansion of agricultural research.

Concept of vegetative waterways developed to channel runoff and prevent gully erosion.

1936

Flood Control Act: determine the most effective methods to control erosion and prevent floods.

1937

First soil conservation district organized in Brown Creek watershed, Anson County, NC.

1940

Farmers made up 18% of the labor force; 2 in 5 were tenant farmers.

1942

Agricultural Research Administration (ARA) established within USDA.

1944

Flood Control Act: SCS begins work on 11 watershed projects.

SCS initiates upstream land treatment through the Yazoo-Little Tallahatchie (Y-LT) Project.

1948

A small-scale research project was initiated by the SCS at State College, MS (now Mississippi State University).

Saint Anthony Falls stilling basin designed (Minneapolis, MN).

1950

Farmers made up 11% of the labor force.

1953

Agricultural Appropriations Act: SCS given 63 additional watershed projects.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) division of USDA is created; SCS transfers research activities.

1954

Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act: Congress gave SCS permanent watershed planning authority.

ARS consolidates research projects of Y-LT within Soil and Water Research Conservation Division.

1956

Congress appropriates funds for sedimentation research; Y-LT/ARS research moved to Oxford, MS; temporarily housed on campus of University of Mississippi.

1957

Funds appropriated for Sedimentation Laboratory in Oxford, MS.

Civil Rights Act.

Sputnik launched.

1958

Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) developed.

1970

Less than 5% of the labor force is made up of farmers.

1971

Microcomputers invented.

1980

CREAMS: A Field Scale Model for Chemicals, Runoff and Erosion from Agricultural Management Systems published.

1989

Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) developed.

1995

Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) completed.