The Wetlands Initiative is developing the Goose Pond Nutrient Farming Pilot Project to test and demonstrate the economic efficiency and environmental benefits of nutrient farming. The project is located at Goose Pond, near Hennepin, Illinois, approximately 40 miles north of Peoria along the Illinois River. This is directly across the river from The Wetlands Initiative's Sue & Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge.

The project will encompass approximately 1,325 acres on land owned by two historic duck clubs. The clubs will retain ownership of the project land, entering into a 10-year lease agreement with The Wetlands Initiative for the duration of the research and demonstration project.

The Wetlands Initiative will restore the degraded lake and environs by constructing low berms to control water flow in and out of the four wetland cells. River water will pass through the four wetland pools in the project. By controlling water flow and other variables, researchers can maximize the natural chemical and biological processes which occur in wetlands to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. Native wetland vegetation will be planted, which will aid the nutrient removal and improve the wildlife habitat.

In March 2007, The Wetlands Initiative submitted a permit, under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In spring 2007, the public was invited to submit written comments or questions about the project; The Wetlands Initiative's written response is available here. Construction will begin only after the permit is approved by the Corps, with input from other federal and state agencies.

Several major institutions (see table below) will be participating in far-reaching research at the project. This interdisciplinary research will integrate knowledge of chemical, physical, and biological processes with the economic mechanisms necessary to support wetland nutrient farms .

Although previous research established that wetlands reduce nutrients in surface waters under certain conditions and for certain time periods, scientists do not fully understand the complex interactions that produce this reduction or how to manage these processes. This research program will create a body of knowledge useful for predicting wetland reactions and outcomes over a wide range of conditions. With this fuller scientific understanding of wetland optimization, economists can evaluate the economic feasibility of nutrient farming over that same range of wetland conditions.