Backyard & Urban Conservation

Files may require Acrobat Reader or Windows Media Player.

Basic No-Till Garden Recipe (PDF) - Featuring Sheila O'Riley, The Ugly Gardener
Organic Material Used for No-Till Gardens (PDF)
Grow and Construct a Gourd Birdhouse (PDF)

Backyard Conservation

• Backyard Conservation - Bringing conservation from the countryside to your backyard.
• Backyard Conservation (Spanish)
• General Information for Homeowners, Urban and Suburban Land Users

Adams County Backyard Conservation Conference Webcast

Urban Conservation

• Rain Gardens
• Iowa Rain Garden Design and Installation Manual (PDF, 3.1 MB) New!
• Rain Garden - How to Guide Sheets (PDF, 7.8 MB)
• Iowa NRCS Urban Conservation Photo Gallery 
• Urban Conservation Brochure (2.2 MB) - "Conservation Strategies for Growing Communities"
• What Conservationists Say (PDF, 288 KB) - What experienced central Iowans "in the know" say about conservation practices that improve natural resources in growing communities.
• City of Des Moines Rain Garden Tool Kits
• Video of Porous Asphalt (MPG, 4 MB) (Courtesy of Grimes Asphalt and Paving Corp.)
• Minnesota NRCS Information

Urban Conservation Fact Sheets

Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) State Revolving Fund - Low-Interest Loans through the General Non-Point Source Program

Urban Conservation Feature Stories

• Rain Gardens Growing Trend in Pottawattamie County (Council Bluffs)    New!
• Iowa NRCS Assists Engineering Firm with Pollution Problem (West Des Moines)   
• Loess Hills Residential Development Retains Rain (PDF) (Glenwood)
• WIRB Grant Helps Stream Rehab on UNI Campus (PDF) (Cedar Falls)    
• Iowa School for the Deaf Ready for Rain (PDF) (Council Bluffs)
• USDA Service Center Installs Three Rain Gardens (Council Bluffs)
• Greenwood Elementary Installs Rain Garden (Des Moines)
• Homeowners Asked to Protect McLoud Run Trout (Cedar Rapids)