Verdantas partnered with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) on a comprehensive ecosystem enhancement planning effort for the Green River Watershed focused on improving aquatic habitat conditions within the lower Green River and reducing nutrient and pollutant loads to downstream waterbodies. The project combined science‑based analysis with stakeholder engagement to support strategic, cost‑effective conservation planning across the watershed. 

The effort integrated stakeholder outreach, agricultural Best Management Practice (BMP) evaluation, and watershed‑scale floodplain restoration planning to develop a cohesive framework for identifying priority conservation actions. Together, these elements supported informed decision‑making by addressing pollutant sources, identifying and prioritizing ecosystem enhancement opportunities, and providing a framework for to assess feasibility of implementation. 

Agricultural BMP evaluation was informed by output from the USGS SPARROW model, which was used to estimate nitrogen and phosphorus loads and yields from agricultural lands within HUC 8 and HUC 12 subwatersheds across the greater Green River Watershed. These nutrient yield estimates supported development of a prioritization framework that identified areas where targeted BMP implementation and focused landowner outreach would deliver the greatest water quality benefits. 

More than 190 miles of the lower Green River were also evaluated to identify and prioritize opportunities for floodplain restoration and reconnection using a GIS‑based screening approach. This analysis highlighted areas where restoration would enhance habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds, support high‑value wetland ecosystems, and reduce pollutant transport. Potential restoration sites were screened using habitat, TNC, and NRCS opportunity and constraint criteria, and conceptual designs were advanced for two high‑priority locations. Verdantas’ Ecological Floodplain Inundation Potential (EcoFIP) approach supported consistent, watershed‑scale evaluation of restoration opportunities. 

Collectively, the project supported adoption of conservation practices, reduced pollutant loads, enhanced aquatic and floodplain habitat, and improved overall ecosystem function within the lower Green River. By integrating multiple planning scales and analytical tools, the effort delivered a cohesive watershed‑wide framework for prioritizing actions that provided the greatest environmental return for investment and supported long‑term water quality and ecosystem resilience.