Why use Web Resources?
Websites are particularly good at providing up-to-the minute news and information on current events, trends, and controversial topics. Some contain reliable or scholarly content -- Government publications, articles, research reports, conference papers, statistics, maps and more. 
Look for websites hosted by professional organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions as more reliable.
(Water quality, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Karla Salp. CC BY-SA 3.0 US, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/.)
Data Sources -- Examples
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AgCensus This link opens in a new window
The AgCensus is the source of consistent, comparable, and detailed agricultural data for every county in America. The census is conducted every 5 years.
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National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)NCEI is the Nation’s leading authority for environmental data, and manage one of the largest archives of atmospheric, coastal, geophysical, and oceanic research in the world.
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Ag Data Commons, US Department of AgricultureA research data catalog and repository for open data related to agricultural research. Resources include datasets, software, and multi-media.
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Forest Service Research Data Archive This link opens in a new windowThis archive publishes and preserves short and long-term research data collected from studies funded by: Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D), Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) and Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute (ALWRI). Of special interest, the collection includes data from a number of Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges.
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USGS National Water Information System (NWIS), US Geological SurveyAccess to water resources data at approximately 1.9 million sites in all 50 states and US Territories.
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USGS Water Quallity for the Nation (US Geological Survey)Investigates the occurrence, quantity, quality, distribution and movement of surface and underground waters, disseminating this data to the public and other organizations.
Professional Organizations
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American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers (ASABE)Supports the environmentally sensitive developments in producing food, fiber, timber and renewable energy sources in the engineering and technology for agricultural and biological systems.
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American Society of Agronomy (ASA)Dedicated to advancing agronomy and sustainable agricultural practices.
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Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)Supports the knowledge and practices that sustain global soils.