Athene Watershed26 Summit to Address Water Quality in Mississippi River Basin

Cross-sector collaboration and innovative solutions sought to tackle agricultural runoff and flooding challenges

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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The upcoming Athene Watershed26 summit, hosted by the Great Outdoors Foundation on June 30-July 1, 2026 in Des Moines, Iowa, will bring together leaders from agriculture, conservation, public health, and the private sector to address urgent water quality issues in the Upper Mississippi River Watershed. The event will focus on emerging trends in watershed restoration, including regenerative agriculture, nature-based solutions, data-driven decision making, and financial innovation.

Why it matters

The health of the Mississippi River Watershed directly impacts millions of people, but faces escalating challenges from agricultural runoff, harmful algal blooms, and increasingly frequent flooding events exacerbated by climate change. Watershed26 represents a critical turning point in how these complex, interconnected issues are approached through cross-sector collaboration and holistic solutions.

The details

Watershed26 will highlight several key trends shaping the future of watershed management, including regenerative agriculture practices, nature-based solutions like wetland restoration, data-driven decision making enabled by advances in remote sensing and modeling, and innovative financial mechanisms to incentivize conservation. The event will also emphasize the importance of collaborative governance, bringing together government agencies, nonprofits, and local communities to foster a shared vision.

  • Watershed26 will be held on June 30-July 1, 2026 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
  • The deadline for discounted hotel rates at the Hilton Des Moines Downtown is June 1, 2026.

The players

Great Outdoors Foundation

A nonprofit organization that hosts the Athene Watershed26 summit and manages the Conservation Acceleration Fund to incentivize watershed restoration projects.

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What’s next

Registration details for Watershed26 are available on the Great Outdoors Foundation website.

The takeaway

By embracing collaboration, innovation, and a long-term perspective, Watershed26 aims to ensure the health and resilience of the Mississippi River Watershed for generations to come, addressing interconnected challenges like agricultural runoff, harmful algal blooms, and flooding through holistic, cross-sector solutions.