Harnessing nature to protect waterways: How the Great Outdoors Foundation advances nature-based solutions

This year, CoBank is proud to honor the work of the Great Outdoors Foundation through our grant funding. GOF is a leader in implementing nature-based solutions that protect water quality and restore ecological balance across Iowa. As part of our commitment to environmental stewardship, we recognize the importance of working with natural systems to address environmental challenges. GOF’s conservation practices—such as wetland and stream restoration and agricultural edge-of-field practices— are designed to mimic natural processes while delivering measurable environmental benefits. These projects use native plants, soils and natural hydrologic processes to filter pollutants, store water and stabilize landscapes, demonstrating how infrastructure and ecology can work together.

GOF defines nature-based solutions as interventions that replicate natural processes to solve environmental problems in a sustainable way. Rather than relying solely on engineered infrastructure, GOF begins by identifying upstream opportunities for water capture and filtration that require minimal disturbance and offer long-term ecological value. This approach has proven especially relevant in light of the water crisis in the Des Moines area, underscoring the urgency of scalable, cost-effective interventions to safeguard both human and environmental health.

In 2025, GOF supported a range of projects that exemplify this approach. Highlights include the restoration of an oxbow in the Middle Cedar Watershed, which captures runoff from over 250 acres of agricultural land and the installation of 73 agricultural edge-of-field practices such as bioreactors and saturated buffers to filter runoff, which will work to improve ecosystems across the middle and lower Cedar River Watersheds. In Polk County, a newly constructed wetland now treats runoff from a 500+ acre drainage area, while 30 grade stabilization structures in southwest Iowa help reduce erosion and sedimentation. These projects not only improve water quality but also enhance habitat, reduce long-term infrastructure costs and build resilience against climate-related challenges.

Thanks in part to CoBank’s support, GOF has been able to expand its capacity to identify and implement high-impact projects. CoBank’s grant funding has helped GOF staff engage new partners and accelerate the adoption of naturebased solutions across the region. In 2025 alone, GOF treated over 7,300 acres through 105 conservation practices, with an estimated annual nitrate removal of more than 52,000 pounds. These outcomes reflect a growing momentum toward solutions that benefit both people and ecosystems and a shared vision for a more resilient future.