Nature is important in its own right, and provides value to the lives of all. To increase our knowledge of nature in the United States and its links to global change, the United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is undertaking the first National Nature Assessment (NNA). Existing reports and assessments provide partial views of changes in nature and how they affect the nation, but the United States lacks comprehensive knowledge on these major aspects of global change. The NNA will assess the status, observed trends, and future projections of America’s lands, waters, wildlife, biodiversity and ecosystems and the benefits they provide, including connections to the economy, public health, equity, climate mitigation and adaptation, and national security. The NNA considers nature in US states, marine areas (exclusive economic zone), territories, Native or Indigenous lands and waters, and other affiliated areas (as appropriate), as well as its significant interactions with global changes. The USGCRP is currently scoping the NNA with the goals of providing an authoritative, credible, and use-inspired assessment that informs decisions nationwide. This presentation provides an overview of the scope of the NNA with a specific focus on freshwater ecosystems.