The Temecula-Anza-Elsinore-Murrieta Resource Conservation District's territory includes 505,000 acres, or approximately 789 square miles, extending south from Scott Road to the San Diego County line, and from east of Anza west to the Orange County line. It also includes a loop around the north of Lake Elsinore. Its RCD neighbors are San Jacinto Basin RCD and Riverside Corona RCD in Riverside County and Mission RCD in San Diego County.

Conservation districts began to form following federal enabling legislation in the late 1930s. In response to the terrible "dust bowl’ of that period, the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS; then called the Soil Conservation Service) was formed. It was realized that for the NRCS to function effectively local state districts were needed as a bridge to the public. So the RCDs were formed across the nation and continue to cooperate closely with the NRCS.