Supported by the USDA Agricultural Research Service by means of funds appropriated by the U.S. Congress, NCCHE has a mandate to foster the growth of research in computational hydroscience and engineering, which is the foundation for the development of new research and engineering tools, computational simulation models for conducting scientific research, engineering analysis and design, and environmental and ecological impact assessments in the area of natural resources (soil and water) conservation.

The research and development activities of NCCHE cover a broad range of fields including watershed processes, channel network hydraulics, river morphology (meandering, bank erosion, etc.), flood analysis, dam break, sediment transport, water quality and pollutant transport, river training and restoration, and more.