The Big Rivers Initiative (BRI) is a multi-state conservation effort focused on restoring wetlands, floodplains, and working lands across the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio River Basins. It addresses key challenges such as wetland loss, water quality degradation, and declining waterfowl populations. BRI enhances ecosystem services including water filtration, flood mitigation, and wildlife habitat, with a focus on interior wetlands and large river systems. 5-Year Ecosystem Service Benefits (2020–2024): Carbon Sequestration / Avoided GHG: ~2,331,500 metric tons (equivalent to emissions from 555,000 passenger cars) Nutrient Removal: ~814,400 kg N and ~70,800 kg P Average Annual: 162,880 kg N/year and 14,160 kg P/year Sediment Removal: ~63,400 metric tons Average Annual: 12,680 metric tons/year Water Savings: ~154,300 acre-feet Total: ~190,325,964 cubic meters Average Annual: ~38,065,193 cubic meters/year