Great Rivers Partnership - UMR-Agriculture and Biodiversity

The Upper Mississippi River Program

Agriculture and Biodiversity

Much of the land in the UMR basin is in active agricultural production. These working farmlands contribute a great deal to the regional economy. Yet, some agricultural practices widely employed within the region present challenges to biodiversity conservation. For example, large sums of money are spent to add nutrients to soil, some of which are carried into streams. This degrades water quality and has adverse impacts on plants and animals downriver.

In cases such as these, the UMR program seeks to develop strategies that conserve species and habitats, while at the same time sustaining human uses of the land. Thus, the Conservancy is helping fund development of projects that evaluate environmental and economic components of agricultural practices along the Boone River in Iowa. Such science is expected to contribute to improved agricultural practices that enable farmers to maintain profitability while reducing the level of nutrients that enter freshwater habitats.

UMR Program

Priority Sites