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Iowa Publications

Iowa NRCS Publications & Fact Sheets

Fact Sheets, brochures, and booklets about conservation, resources, and our programs available for immediate download in PDF format.

Publications by Topic (Alphabetical)

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Additional Publications from National Distribution Center

A

2025 Iowa NRCS At A Glance (927.34 KB)
2024 Iowa NRCS At A Glance (1.23 MB)
2023 At A Glance: Iowa NRCS Program Summary (981.04 KB)
2022 At A Glance: Iowa NRCS Program Summary (885.2 KB)
2021 At A Glance: Iowa NRCS Program Summary (261.83 KB)
2020 At A Glance: Iowa NRCS Program Summary (442.52 KB)
2019 At A Glance: Iowa NRCS Program Summary (513.71 KB)

B

Before and After: Iowa Conservation Projects Before and After Implementation (6.93 MB)

C

Conservation Choices: 32 Popular Conservation Practices In Iowa (13.79 MB)
Conservation Compliance and your USDA Program Benefits (3.06 MB)
Conservation Compliance and your USDA Benefits (Spanish) (3.01 MB)
Cover Crops Before Corn Guide Sheet (1.34 MB)
Cover Crops Before Soybeans Guide Sheet (1.29 MB)
Cropland Conservation Practices for a Sustainable System (658.38 KB)
Cropland Conservation Practices to Protect Groundwater Sources of Drinking Water (3.2 MB)
Estimating Cover Crop Biomass (3.91 MB)

D

Drainage Water Management: Tile Systems with a Dual Function (1.7 MB)

E

Ephemeral Gullies: Conservation Practices to Provide Erosion Control from Ephemeral Gullies (4.26 MB)
Fix It, Don't Disc It: Stop Ephemeral Gully Erosion with Conservation Systems (2.23 MB)

F

Fencing Through EQIP in Iowa: New EQIP Policy for Conservation Practice Standard 382 (622.79 KB)
Virtual Fence Systems for Managing Livestock (366.62 KB)
Food Plots for Wildlife (4.03 MB)

G

Preventing Soil Loss with Grassed Waterways (3 MB)
Grassland Conservation Practices for a Sustainable System (777.07 KB)
Grazing Management and Soil Health: Keys to Better Soil, Plant, Animal and Financial Health (8.46 MB)

H

Harvesting Crop Residue: What is it worth? (675.24 KB)
Highway Guide to Iowa Soil Associations (4.79 MB)
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I

Interseeding: Iowa Fact Sheet (2.42 MB)

L

Lines on the Land (10.85 MB)

M

Managing Iowa Acreages (4.33 MB)

N

4R Nutrient Stewardship (1.21 MB)
Planning and Understanding Diverse Native Seed Mixes Conservation Planner Guide (798.63 KB)
Native Prairie: Increasing Forb Diversity in Native Grass-Dominated Stands (4.88 MB)
Native Prairie: Establishing & Managing Native Plantings (4.41 MB)
Planting Native Prairie Into Corn or Soybean Stubble (2.1 MB)
Planting Native Prairie Into Cool Season Sod (819.86 KB)
No-Till Challenge (2.03 MB)

O

Organic Ask NRCS Brochure (3.82 MB)
Organic At-A-Glance (1.24 MB)
Go Organic: NRCS Helping Iowa Organic Producers Protect Natural Resources (2.5 MB)
Open Feedlot Management: Best Options (2.67 MB)

P

Conservation Choices for Healthy Pastures (2.41 MB)
The Phosphorus Index: Iowa NRCS Fact Sheet (349.95 KB)
Pollinator Practices: Conservation Choices (5.09 MB)
Protecting the Indiana Bat: An Endangered Species (256.65 KB)

R

Regenerative Pilot Program Fact Sheet 2026 (660.14 KB)
Responsibilities for Conservation System Construction Projects (6.26 MB)
Restoring and Managing Habitat for Reptiles and Amphibians (2.04 MB)

S

Soil Health Economics 2025 (714.28 KB)
From the Ground Down: An Introduction to Iowa Soil Surveys (4.71 MB)
Soil Health: A Guide to Unlocking the Secrets in Your Soil (2.37 MB)
Conservation Choices for Soil Health (5.41 MB)
Step by Step: Your Guide to Applying for USDA Conservation Programs (507.78 KB)
Value of Soil Health (5.79 MB)

T

Threatened & Endangered Species: Iowa Animal ID Guide (10.16 MB)
Tillage Equipment: Pocket ID Guide (6.3 MB)

U

Urban and Small Farm Choices 2025 (931.15 KB)
Innovative Production At-A-Glance (1.56 MB)

W

A Community Leader's Guide to Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention (827.13 KB)
Conservation Choices for Water Quality (5.24 MB)
Wetlands and Conservation Compliance: What Every Iowa Farmer Needs to Know (4.65 MB)
Wetland Mitigation & Drainage Districts: Landowner's Rights and Responsibilities (215.08 KB)
Whole Farm Conservation Best Practices Manual (30.3 MB)
Wildlife Conservation Practices for a Sustainable System (834.61 KB)
Women, Land and Legacy: Empowering Women Through Conservation (1.23 MB)
Women of Iowa Agriculture: A Resource Guide of Women's Groups & Programs (7.08 MB)

Additional Brochures

Other popular Iowa publications include the Iowa Cover Crop Fact Sheets and the WhoBuddies comic book series.

Iowa Cover Crop Fact Sheets

The Iowa cover crop fact sheets are a quick reference to aid in selection and identification of cover crop species. The fact sheets provide information on cultural traits, planting, and performance ratings. 

Learn More

WhoBuddies Adventures

The Whobuddies are six unique owl cartoon characters who really care about the environment. Each Whobuddy specializes on a particular resource. The natural resources include: soil, water, air, animals, plants, and energy.

Learn More