Kayak Paddling in the Mississippi River. © Richard Hamilton Smith
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How We Work
TNC has identified two priority areas where working together can accomplish more than ever for resilient fresh water in the Great Plains.
Regenerative Agriculture
Farmers are vital to our way of life and are important conservation allies. TNC is working with partners to promote regenerative agricultural practices using a science-based approach that supports both communities and healthy water.
This initiative focuses on row crop agriculture, including in the Upper Mississippi River Basin landscapes of Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Healthy Rivers, Floodplains and Flow
Alterations to rivers and streams upset the balance needed to support human communities and freshwater plants and animals.
TNC is collaborating with key partners to address these alterations to achieve durable solutions. This work includes the Sustainable Rivers Program; the Interior Highlands of Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma; and floodplain restoration.
Reconnecting Rivers, Restoring Life
Across the Great Plains, The Nature Conservancy is joining partners in answering the call and acting for rivers—from restoring prairie wetlands to protecting land around crucial waterways.
TNC’s Global Freshwater Goals
By 2030, we will:
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1M
Safeguard or restore at least 1 million kilometers of healthy rivers and streams—enough to stretch around the globe 25 times.
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30M
Conserve 30 million hectares of healthy lakes, wetlands, deltas and floodplains.
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10M
Ensure more than 10 million people benefit directly from healthy freshwater ecosystems.
Related Stories
Mississippi River Basin
The Mississippi River Basin is indispensable to our way of life—and it needs our help.
Sustainable Rivers Program
The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are finding new ways to strike a sustainable balance in how people use and protect the many benefits that rivers provide.
Nature-Based Farming Practices Support River Health
A study of TNC's Upper Mississippi River Foodscape found that implementing regenerative agriculture practices on 50% of row crop agriculture can reduce the environmental impacts on the river.
Contact Us
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Great Plains Freshwater Director
Heidi Mehl
View Biography
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