Implementing Natural Infrastructure in the Upper Mississippi River Basin: Lessons from Iowa

Abstract

The Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) suffers from poor water quality due to high nutrient runoff from the over-application of fertilizers in industrial agriculture and the increasing frequency of flooding (America’s Watershed Initiative, 2020). A promising solution to address these issues is construction of natural infrastructure, such as restored wetlands, that reduce both flood risk and nutrient pollution. The state of Iowa in particular has struggled with increasing flooding and nitrogen pollution, and shows great potential for the benefits of natural infrastructure. However, implementing natural infrastructure in Iowa - and the region more broadly - has been slow due to knowledge gaps, policy conflicts, and institutional barriers. In order to fill knowledge gaps and explore barriers, the central questions of this project are: how can natural infrastructure implementation be improved and how can natural infrastructure benefit socially vulnerable communities? To answer these questions, the project has five specific objectives: (1) evaluate the potential for hydric soil proxies to help identify key locations for natural infrastructure interventions, (2) evaluate the flooding and nitrogen pollution exposure of socially vulnerable communities in Iowa, (3) understand the social and political conditions for successful natural infrastructure implementation in Iowa, (4) identify policy opportunities for expanding natural infrastructure in Iowa, and (5) propose priorities for future natural infrastructure research and advocacy.