USDA · USDA-118 · record R1416

NETS automated waterway design

Department of Agriculture · Farm Production and Conservation

Overview

Development stage: PilotSource: b) Pilot – The use case has been deployed in a limited test or pilot capacity.
High-impact designation: Not high-impactSource: c) Not high-impact
Impact justification: Not reported
Start date: 2025-03-15 (day precision)Source: 3/15/2025
Withheld from public reporting: Not reported

Mission

Topic area: Transportation
Operational functions: No function tag matched Derived by keyword rules; see methodology

Problem the AI is intended to solve

Surveying for and creating engineering designs for relatively simple practices is time consuming and limits getting programs implemented for producers in a timely manner

Expected benefits

Reduces producer wait times for practice designs, reduces time investment in simple engineering survey and designs, efficiently uses taxpayer resources.

System outputs

Auto-generated design for grassed waterways, lined waterways, and outlets within the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Engineering Tools Suite environment

Technology

AI classification: Agentic AISource: Agentic AI: AI systems that perform tasks or make decisions autonomously with minimal human intervention.
System name(s): NRCS Engineering Tools Suite (NETS)
Custom-developed code: Yes
Public source code: Not reported

Sourcing

How it was built: Purchased from vendorSource: a) Purchased from a vendor
Vendor (as reported): Spatial Front Incorporated
Vendors (standardized): None on the standard list

A vendor is the supplier named by the agency. It does not identify the underlying model or AI technology.

Data and privacy

Involves PII: Yes
Privacy Impact Assessment: Not reported
Authorization to Operate: Yes
Demographic features: k) None of the above
Training and evaluation data: Data consists of LiDAR imagery, Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) and National Soil Information System (NASIS) soils information, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) precipitation and evapotranspiration data, engineering computational data, and data on producer's operation type
Federal Data Catalog: Not reported

Governance

0 of 8 minimum-practice questions answered. A blank answer means the agency reported nothing; it does not mean the practice is absent.

Pre-deployment testingNo answer reported

AI impact assessmentNo answer reported

Independent reviewNo answer reported

Ongoing monitoringNo answer reported

Operator trainingNo answer reported

Fail-safeNo answer reported

Appeal processNo answer reported

User and public consultationNo answer reported

Potential impacts and how they were identified

Not reported