Wetland Reserve Easement
Project Leadership
IAWA and Resource Environmental Solutions
Funding
$80 million (USDA), plus $4.6 million (private match)
Summary
The Wetland Reserve Easement program (WRE) helps identify and fund the restoration of wetlands in Iowa. It is funded through the USDA-NRCS Agriculture Conservation Easement Program.
Wetlands treat field runoff and reduce excess nutrients in water, meaning cleaner water for downstream communities – that makes them key to meeting Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy goals. On average, wetlands remove 52% of nitrogen and 85% of phosphorus from water.
IAWA has a nearly $7M agreement with USDA-NRCS to restore wetlands through the WRE program. We work in partnership with Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC to streamline this effort and ensure quality and efficiency.
Project Area
Conservation Practices Implemented:
Partner Spotlight: Resource Environmental Solutions
Engineering wetlands for water quality
In the WRE project, IAWA does the behind the scenes work while res is out in the field doing the engineering and restoration work. They restore hundreds of wetlands every year!
