New ISU demonstration site to put public spotlight on water-quality best practices

AMES, Iowa (September 2, 2026) — Iowa State University scientists have invented and refined several practices to improve the quality of water flowing through Iowa farms. A new Iowa State project will soon provide an in-person look at those conservation measures designed to reduce nutrients in agricultural runoff.

With help from a $1 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Iowa State will debut the Watershed Innovation Farm next year — a demonstration site for showcasing nature-based water-quality measures such as saturated buffers, bioreactors and wetlands, along with related advancements in sustainable woodland management and monitoring technology.

Publicly available examples of stackable, scalable solutions for reducing levels of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in waterways will give visitors a convenient and hands-on way to learn about proven methods for water-quality improvement, said project leader Jacqueline Comito, program director for Iowa Learning Farms, an ISU-based team focused on conservation education and outreach. 

“They will be able to see what these practices look like and what it takes to make them happen,” Comito said. “It’s a really exciting collaboration that ties together a lot of innovative work being done here.”

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Originally published by Iowa State University in September 2026.