In the Midwest, the spatial variability that farmers encounter us due to the topographical diversity of the landscape. The topographical diversity controls many soil properties, including the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC). The high biomass production of cereal rye contributes to an increase in SOC, but with topographically diverse landscapes cereal rye as a cover crop may not accrue SOC in a homogenous manner. Topographical differences in terrain affect soil moisture content and soil temperatures and these directly impact SOC accrual. This study aimed to observe the effect of a rye cover crop on soil Carbon accrual and changes in soil water retention in topographically diverse landscapes.