Watershed26 Shared Action Plan

Executive Summary

The Shared Action Plan is a strategic framework designed to accelerate conservation agriculture adoption, improve watershed health, strengthen rural economies, and align public-private investment across the Upper Mississippi River Watershed. It was developed based on the insight and expertise of the Athene Watershed26 committee members. The Shared Action Plan, while a collaborative document, is not explicitly endorsed by individual committee members nor the organizations they represent.

Four Strategic Pillars

The plan is intended to serve as a shared roadmap for nonprofits, producers, landowners, agribusinesses, higher education institutions, investors, conservation organizations, public agencies, and community leaders.

Strategic Pillar 1: Emerging Voices

Strategic Goal

Build public understanding, workforce capacity, and next-generation leadership for conservation agriculture and watershed stewardship.

Action Step 1

Deploy new media trainings and campaigns that support conservation priorities, educational resources, and collective wins.

Develop a regional communications cohort that trains individual leaders on conservation messaging:

  • Social media storytelling
  • Podcasting
  • Short-form video production
  • Public speaking
  • Community engagement
  • Potential platforms:
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Podcasts
    • LinkedIn

Create a centralized digital platform featuring:

  • Success stories
  • Case studies
  • Producer testimonials
  • Watershed progress dashboards
  • Educational toolkits
  • Links to existing public domain resources

  • Number of campaign participants
  • Digital engagement reach
  • Educational content downloads
  • Public awareness survey improvements

Action Step 2

Conduct a study on middle infrastructure needs to accelerate adoption of regenerative and alternative agriculture.

Evaluate needs related to:

  • Processing facilities
  • Storage
  • Transportation
  • Aggregation systems
  • Supply chain logistics

Engage:

  • Farmers / producers / landowners
  • Cooperatives
  • Agribusiness
  • Buyers
  • Lenders
  • Food companies

Develop recommendations for:

  • Public-private investment opportunities
  • Priority infrastructure zones
  • Financing structures
  • Market demand alignment

  • Completion of infrastructure map
  • Number of stakeholder engagements
  • Investment pipeline created
  • Infrastructure funding leveraged

Action Step 3

Increase workforce development and higher education opportunities in conservation agriculture.

In partnership with existing higher and continuing ed institutions, develop both in-classroom and in-field programs for:

  • High school students
  • Community colleges
  • University agriculture tracks
  • Mid-career agronomists

Launch scholarship and fellowship opportunities focused on:

  • Conservation agronomy
  • Precision agriculture
  • Regenerative systems

  • Students enrolled
  • Internship placements
  • Workforce certifications completed
  • Employer participation rates

Strategic Pillar 2: Finance Solutions

Strategic Goal

Unlock scalable financing and investment systems that accelerate conservation outcomes.

Action Step 1

Create a toolbox/playbook for conservation financing options.

Develop a practical “yellow pages” resource including:

  • Grants
  • Cost-share programs
  • Tax incentives
  • Carbon markets
  • Water quality markets
  • Impact investment opportunities

Provide guidance on:

  • Aligning financial goals with conservation outcomes
  • Risk mitigation strategies
  • Return-on-investment scenarios

Explore direct to consumer tech platforms that can increase grassroots support of value-driven behavior modification.

  • Toolbox downloads
  • Financial partners engaged
  • Producers utilizing resources
  • Investments facilitated

Action Step 2

Pilot programs that create clear financial pathways for nature-based and agricultural investments.

Launch pilots in target states to test:

  • Blended finance structures
  • Outcome-based payments
  • Revolving loan funds

Define:

  • Standardized metrics
  • Risk assessment models
  • Investment qualification criteria

Develop models that move initiatives from grant-funded pilots to self-sustaining market systems.

  • Capital deployed
  • Number of pilot projects
  • Investor participation
  • Acres enrolled

Action Step 3

Map ecosystem conditions necessary for capital deployment.

Evaluate:

  • Offtake demand
  • Aggregation capacity
  • Technical assistance gaps
  • Financing barriers

Create criteria for identifying:

  • Investment-ready geographies
  • Priority implementation zones

Coordinate among:

  • Financial institutions
  • Philanthropy
  • Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
  • Government agencies
  • Corporate sustainability teams
  • Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) firms

  • Gap analysis completed
  • New partnerships formed
  • Regional readiness assessments completed

Strategic Pillar 3: Science & Data

Strategic Goal

Leverage science, technology, and data systems to improve conservation outcomes and accelerate adoption.

Action Step 1

Use data to identify high-impact watershed targets.

Integrate:

  • Water quality indicators
  • Land use data
  • Soil health metrics
  • Nutrient runoff modeling
  • Land prioritization modeling using profit metrics

Support:

  • Cooperative monitoring systems
  • Sensor deployment
  • Shared watershed databases

  • Priority watersheds identified
  • Monitoring stations added
  • Shared datasets established

Action Step 2

Invest in the existing resources available within the conservation ag sector to expedite the pace of practice adoption.

Increase staffing and capacity for conservation infrastructure implementation.

Support integration of conservation into the co-op model through:

  • Educational support
  • Continued education training
  • Resource exchange and promotion

Promote increased coordination and awareness for resources among:

  • Co-ops
  • NGOs
  • Extension systems
  • State agencies

  • Technical assistance capacity increased
  • Producers served
  • Acres under conservation management

Action Step 3

Support the development, scaling, and application of innovative systems, practices, and technology in the conservation ag sector.

Support startups and pilot technologies related to:

  • Regenerative agriculture
  • Water monitoring
  • Nutrient management
  • Carbon sequestration
  • Other conservation ag outcomes

Establish demonstration hubs across multiple states related to:

  • Precision agriculture
  • Batch & Build
  • Turnkey model

  • Technologies piloted
  • Demonstration sites established
  • Funding leveraged

Strategic Pillar 4: Stacked Benefits

Strategic Goal

Demonstrate and maximize the interconnected economic, environmental, and community benefits of conservation investments.

Action Step 1

Analyze the economic value of water and conservation across sectors.

Conduct a statewide pilot assessing:

  • Utility savings
  • Economic development impacts
  • Tourism benefits
  • Agricultural resilience

Replicate and adapt the framework in Missouri.

Expand analysis to Indiana and additional watershed states.

  • Economic valuation reports completed
  • Policy adoption influenced
  • Cross-sector investments generated

Action Step 2

Pilot programs that create clear financial pathways for nature-based and agricultural investments.

Implement a standardized assessment tool for large-scale infrastructure placement and water quality investment.

Refine framework for broader regional applications.

Evaluate scalability and cross-state adoption.

  • Capital deployed
  • Number of pilot projects
  • Investor participation
  • Acres enrolled

Action Step 3

Holistically approach watershed interventions through creative funding structures.

Combine:

  • Public funding
  • Philanthropy
  • Private capital
  • Corporate water replenishment

Create multi-sector coalitions to coordinate funding priorities

Develop common indicators for:

  • Water quality
  • Economic outcomes
  • Producer profitability
  • Climate resilience

  • Funding leveraged
  • Collaborative projects launched
  • Shared reporting system adopted

Conclusion

This Shared Action Plan provides a collaborative roadmap for scaling conservation agriculture and watershed resilience across the Upper Mississippi River Watershed. By aligning communications, financing, science, and cross-sector benefits, partners can accelerate measurable environmental outcomes while supporting thriving agricultural communities and regional economies.

Athene Watershed26 Committee Members

Emerging Voices

Sophia Campbell, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Hannah Dake, Great Outdoors Foundation
Tanner Faaborg, 1100 Farm
Molly Hanson, RDG Planning & Design
Afton Holt, CornerPost Marketing
Rebekah Jones, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance & Agriculture’s Clean Water Alliance
Devin Stortz, Ducks Unlimited
Joy Van Wyngarden, Joy of All Trades

Science & Data

Vincent Gauthier, Environmental Defense Fund
Hannah Inman, Great Outdoors Foundation
Morgan Snyder, Walton Family Foundation
Tee Thomas, Quantified Ventures

Finance Solutions

Amanda Brown, Polk County Conservation
Melissa Campbell, Great Outdoors Foundation
Sara Carmichael, Great Outdoors Foundation
Kyle Cotten, INFRA
Catherine DeLong, Iowa State University
Susan Kozak, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
Andrew McCoy, HDR
Amy Saltzman, Walton Family Foundation
Todd Sutphin, Iowa Soybean Association
John Swanson, Polk County Public Works
Dr. Larry Weber, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering

Stacked Benefits

Pat Boddy, City of Urbandale
Jen Cross, Great Outdoors Foundation
Trina Flack, Catch Des Moines
Rich Leopold, Polk County Conservation
Tami Madsen, Central Iowa Water Works
Graham McGaffin, The Nature Conservancy Iowa
Joe McGovern, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
Stephanie Oppel, ICON Water Trails
Melissa Walker, Des Moines Water Works