rainwater basin joint venture

What rainwater basin joint venture does

Founded in 1992, Rainwater Basin Joint Venture is a nonprofit conservation partnership headquartered in Grand Island, Nebraska. It coordinates wetland, grassland, and migratory-bird habitat programs for private landowners, agricultural producers, and ranchers, with the stated objective of maintaining agricultural use while improving habitat. Its disclosed operating market is Nebraska, spanning multiple habitat regions.

Its programs include RCPP woody-encroachment treatment, WREP and CRP SAFE enrollment, wetland vegetation management, grazing-infrastructure cost share, conversion of flood-prone cropland to forage, irrigation reuse-pit filling, and voluntary land sale or trade coordination. The Nebraska Grazing Exchange adds an interactive map and searchable database connecting available grazing land with livestock producers. Underlying capabilities include GIS-based planning, spatial prioritization, decision-support models, and a bio-energetics model developed in 2008; no patents or AI capabilities are disclosed.

Its disclosed program funding is primarily incentive-based rather than conventional fee-for-service pricing. Eligible grazing and WREP infrastructure can receive 85% cost share, eligible wetland restoration can receive up to 100% reimbursement, and CRP SAFE contracts can pay up to the county irrigated rental rate per acre for 10-15 years. Programs are delivered through federal and state agencies, USDA Service Centers, conservation organizations, industry associations, digital resources, events, direct mail, and self-service tools; annual organizational revenue is not disclosed.

Name

rainwater basin joint venture

Legal name

Rainwater Basin Joint Venture

Website

https://rwbjv.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Rainwater Basin Joint Venture is a Nebraska nonprofit partnership that coordinates public conservation funding, science, and technical assistance to help private landowners and agricultural producers restore wetlands and grasslands while maintaining working lands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Conservation Program Coordination: RWBJV operates as a partnership entity that coordinates federal and state conservation funding programs including NRCS EQIP, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and Nebraska Environmental Trust grants to deliver conservation practices on private lands

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rainwater Basin Joint Venture is a nonprofit conservation partnership that coordinates federal and state cost-share programs (NRCS EQIP, RCPP, WREP, CRP SAFE) to deliver wetland and grassland habitat conservation on private agricultural lands across Nebraska. The organization pairs technical assistance, science-based planning tools, and financial incentives (up to 85-100% cost-share) with private landowners and ranchers to balance wildlife habitat with working agriculture. It also operates the Nebraska Grazing Exchange, an online marketplace connecting landowners with livestock producers seeking grazing land.

Product overview

The Rainwater Basin Joint Venture is a conservation partnership organization (not a technology platform) offering a coordinated suite of habitat conservation programs and services for private landowners in Nebraska. The organization's offerings center on wetland management, grazing infrastructure, and conservation enrollment programs. Key service areas include: wetland vegetation management and restoration, grazing infrastructure development (fencing and wells), land transition programs (converting flood-prone cropland to pasture or facilitating land trades/sales), and enrollment in federal conservation programs (CRP-SAFE, WREP, RCPP). The Nebraska Grazing Exchange provides an online platform connecting landowners with livestock producers for grazing opportunities. These programs work together to provide technical resources, cost-share funding, and coordination among conservation partners to benefit migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, grassland birds, and other wildlife while supporting agricultural operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wetland Management Programs Provides private landowners with tools, guidance, and cost-share assistance for managing wetland vegetation — including herbicide treatments, disking, prescribed fire, grazing, and other management practices — to maintain early-successional plant communities that support migratory birds.
• Grazing Infrastructure Program

Quantifiable outcome

• From 2017-24, partnership provided 108,400 unique acres through EQIP and 323,900 unique acres across all programs for tree removal and prescribed fire to address woodland expansion
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary federal partner administering conservation programs including EQIP, RCPP, WREP, and CRP SAFE. RWBJV works with NRCS to deliver conservation practices on private lands through voluntary incentive-based programs. NRCS provides technical assistance and funding through these programs.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partner providing technical expertise and funding through Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. USFWS biologists work with RWBJV on wetland restoration, grassland conservation, and habitat management across Nebraska.
• Nebraska Game and Parks CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner providing wildlife biology expertise and managing public lands including Wildlife Management Areas. NGPC staff including Private Lands Biologists coordinate with RWBJV on conservation delivery.
• Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail ForevercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization partner with Farm Bill Wildlife Biologists who provide technical assistance to landowners for habitat restoration and management on private lands.
• Ducks UnlimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWetland conservation organization partner providing technical expertise and funding for wetland restoration projects, including assistance with land trades and sales for WPA roundouts.
• Nature ConservancysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization partner working on wetland and grassland protection in Nebraska, contributing to the broader conservation network supporting RWBJV goals.
• Nebraska CattlemencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCattle industry association partnering on the Grazing Infrastructure Project in the Rainwater Basin. Provides free advertisement of available grazing lands on their website for landowners in the program.
• Sandhills Task ForcesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandowner group working with RWBJV partners to address grassland conservation challenges in the Sandhills region, facilitating neighbor buy-in for ranch-level projects.
• Northern Prairies Land TrustsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization providing coordinating wildlife biologist support in the Verdigris-Bazile Creek Drainages region for grassland and wetland habitat work.
• Audubon/Bird Conservancy of the RockiessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBird conservation organization partner contributing to grassland bird habitat conservation through the RCPP grassland delivery program.
• USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partner through cooperator agreement providing RWBJV access to USDA spatial records including landowner information, CRP enrollment data, and management delivery information for targeted outreach.
• Upper Big Blue Natural Resources DistrictsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatural Resources District partner contributing to local conservation efforts in the Rainwater Basin region.
• Little Blue Natural Resources DistrictsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatural Resources District partner supporting conservation programs in their district boundaries within the RWBJV administrative area.
• Tri-Basin Natural Resources DistrictsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatural Resources District partner contributing to groundwater conservation and wetland management efforts in their service area.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Playa Lakes Joint Venture: Playa Lakes Joint Venture is a sister Migratory Bird Joint Venture operating in the southern Great Plains, focused on playa wetland conservation on private lands using federal cost-share programs. It operates the same partnership-based delivery model as RWBJV, making it the most structurally comparable peer.
• Prairie Pothole Joint Venture: Prairie Pothole Joint Venture is a Migratory Bird Joint Venture covering the northern Great Plains, delivering wetland and grassland conservation on private lands through NRCS and USFWS programs. Same Joint Venture model, same target customers, same federal funding mechanisms as RWBJV.
• Intermountain West Joint Venture: Intermountain West Joint Venture is another Migratory Bird Joint Venture operating across the western U.S., delivering habitat conservation on private and public lands through science-based planning and federal partnerships. Structurally identical model to RWBJV with shared joint-venture governance and funding channels.

Broad incumbents

• Ducks Unlimited: Ducks Unlimited is a national wetland conservation organization and core RWBJV partner that delivers similar wetland and grassland conservation programs across North America. While RWBJV coordinates regional delivery, DU directly funds restoration and easement work, making it both a partner and an incumbent peer in the same category.
• Pheasants Forever: Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are core RWBJV partners that deliver grassland habitat programs on private lands nationwide through Farm Bill biologist positions. They overlap substantially with RWBJV on grassland delivery, prescribed fire, and landowner cost-share programs in the same Nebraska geography.
• The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization that partners with RWBJV on Nebraska wetland and grassland protection. While TNC operates across many geographies and habitats, its Nebraska chapter pursues similar private-lands conservation strategies and easement-based protection as the anchor.
• National Audubon Society: National Audubon Society is a national bird and habitat conservation organization that partners with RWBJV on grassland bird conservation. Audubon operates broader policy, advocacy, and habitat programs at national scale while overlapping with RWBJV on migratory bird and grassland delivery.

Regional players

• Sandhills Task Force: Sandhills Task Force is a Nebraska landowner-led organization partnering with RWBJV specifically on Sandhills grassland conservation. It is a more local, grassroots peer focused on the same Sandhills region and addressing the same eastern red cedar encroachment challenge.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@rwbjv
• Facebookfacebook.com/rwbjv
• Instagraminstagram.com/rwbjv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rainwater-basin-joint-venture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about rainwater basin joint venture