The project includes two wetland restorations, one located at pool slough wildlife management area (WMA) and one located at green island WMA

This Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3 under the National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements program (CFDA 15.654) provides $535,000.00 in funding to restore two wetland areas in Iowa. The purpose is to mitigate the effects of climate change-related threats, including flooding, drought, and habitat loss, by restoring resilient wetlands. The project involves wetland restoration work at the Pool Slough Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and the Green Island WMA. This restoration effort is intended to improve flood prevention, water quality, and wildlife habitat in the region. The award was made on July 1, 2024 and is scheduled for completion by December 31, 2028. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources, a state government agency, is the primary awardee responsible for executing the project.

The purpose of the restorations is to mitigate the effects of flooding, drought, and wildlife habitat loss by restoring resilient wetlands. This project is intended to address climate change related threats including flooding, drought, and extreme heat. In this geographic region, IT is predicted that precipitation will increase by as much as 3.1 inches annually by late century (when compared to 1976-2005 averages). However, this increased precipitation is predicted to fall over the course of fewer days (5.8 fewer precipitation days) during the year. More rainfall occurring over fewer rain days means we can expect more heavy rain events, and heavy rain events lead to flooding. Floodplain wetlands reduce the rate at which water is drained from the landscape into streams and rivers following heavy precipitation events. In this way, wetlands act as a sponge that help soak up excess water. Surface water retention is an important step to flood prevention. During floods, wetlands can act as a buffer, slowing the speed of floodwater and reducing erosion, sedimentation, and pollution. A water body that is connected to its floodplain can spread out and dissipate energy, relieving downstream flood impacts. Restoring historic wetlands is feature is a NBS because IT does not include developing any artificial infrastructure. There is nothing to maintain into the future.