Polk Soil and Water Conservation District - IA

Polk Soil and Water Conservation District - IA Polk County, IOWA. Dedicated to Soil and Water Conservation.

Iowa's September Endangered Species of the Month is the Buckhorn Mussel, also commonly called a pistolgrip.Buckhorns are...
09/08/2026

Iowa's September Endangered Species of the Month is the Buckhorn Mussel, also commonly called a pistolgrip.

Buckhorns are usually found burrowed in the sand or gravel of rivers. They breed once a year in spring, and their age can be measured by internal growth rings, but it is not yet known how long their lifespan is officially. For now, we know that specimens have been recorded up to 70 years old.

Once the juvenile mussel settles down, they may only move up to a few meters over the course of their lives. They extract nutrients and oxygen from detritus and water through their incurrent siphon, discharging waste products through their excurrent siphon.

Fun facts: Buckhorns were once used in large numbers for making pearl buttons for clothing, their shells have been used to seed marine oysters to grow valuable pearls.

Learn more at:
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tritogonia_verrucosa/

Dog Waste Myth #2 from Project Clean Water by Chelsea McGimpseyMyth: It is completely OK to not pick up dog p**p in my ...
09/06/2026

Dog Waste Myth #2 from Project Clean Water by Chelsea McGimpsey

Myth: It is completely OK to not pick up dog p**p in my yard. It doesn’t harm anyone and it’s actually good for my grass.

Fact: Wrong, friend! Dog waste that is left on our lawns does not just go away.

Dog p**p can be very harmful to our waterways and our health, even if left in your yard. It can make people sick from salmonella, E. coli and other infections.

When it rains, or when we water our lawns, all the bacteria and other contaminants that dog p**p carries wash away into our storm drains—untreated—and into our waterways like rivers, bays and beaches. So even if it’s in your yard, dog waste can cause environmental problems and poses a risk to public health.

Find out more facts like this about dog waste and how it affects stormwater pollution at https://projectcleanwater.org/doody/ 🔗 https://projectcleanwater.org/dog-waste-myth-2/

An addition from the SWCD: Not only does it release contaminants into the environment, it can leave your yard looking yellow, patchy, and burned. The grass might actually be greener on the side where p**p is scooped.

The main goal of soil conservation is to keep land fertile, stable, and productive for future growth and healthy ecosyst...
09/04/2026

The main goal of soil conservation is to keep land fertile, stable, and productive for future growth and healthy ecosystems. Soil conservation practices result in healthy, productive soils and clean groundwater and drinkingwater.

Learn more about funding for cost share practices at: cleanwateriowa.org

We found a little friend hanging out by the door today! Some fun facts about the praying mantis:🐞 they have 5 eyes! 🐞 bu...
09/04/2026

We found a little friend hanging out by the door today!

Some fun facts about the praying mantis:
🐞 they have 5 eyes!
🐞 but only one ear!!!!
🐞 and no lungs?! It breathes through small pore like openings called spiracles on their thorax and abdomen.

A nymph is only 4 millimeters to 1 centimeter tall! They look exactly like tiny versions of their adult selves. They grow five to ten times in size as they molt towards adulthood.

Praying mantis nymphs are incredibly adorable, and this little friend is quite a beauty to behold.

Find out where and when Des Moines Area Farmers Markets are held: https://www.catchdesmoines.com/events/farmers-markets...
09/03/2026

Find out where and when Des Moines Area Farmers Markets are held: https://www.catchdesmoines.com/events/farmers-markets/

🍅 Altoona 🍅 Ankeny 🍅 Beaverdale 🍅 Bondurant 🍅 Downtown DSM 🍅 Global Greens 🍅 Grimes 🍅 Johnston 🍅 Valley Junction 🍅 Pleasant Hill 🍅 Polk City🍅 Waukee 🍅

Iowa has installed over 150 Water Quality Wetlands and has many more in progress. These wetlands are designed with farme...
09/02/2026

Iowa has installed over 150 Water Quality Wetlands and has many more in progress. These wetlands are designed with farmers in mind, being strategically designed and placed to intercept cropland runoff to reduce nutrients downstream.

🌊 Wetlands slow down runoff so plants and microbes can break down nutrients.
🌊 On average, wetlands can remove 50-60% of nitrates, up to 90% in ideal designs and locations.
🌊 Just one acre of wetland can store up to one million gallons of water.
🌊 Just one acre of wetland can remove nutrients from 100 acres of corn.

Iowa's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) offers 100% cost share for wetland restoration and buffer establishment. There are 37 counties that are eligible for this program, including Polk County. Learn more about CREP at: https://iowaagriculture.gov/crep

September's Iowa Native Plant of the Month is the familiar Compass Plant. The Compass Plant is quite impressive and can ...
09/01/2026

September's Iowa Native Plant of the Month is the familiar Compass Plant.

The Compass Plant is quite impressive and can be easy to identify at its mature height. Reaching an astonishingly 10-12ft tall, the bright yellow flowers stand proud in our prairies.

Known for its leaves that orient themselves north and south to avoid the midday sun, the Compass Plant has historically been used to guide travelers on cloudy days. Its sap has been used as chewing gum, and different parts of the plant have been historically used for different medicinal purposes.

Learn more about the Compass Plant at: https://tallgrassprairiecenter.org/native-seed-production-manual/species-production-guides/forbs/compass-plant

Monday Mood Board: Attract Iowa Pollinators to Your Yard!One pollinator host plant is all it takes to invite your favori...
08/31/2026

Monday Mood Board: Attract Iowa Pollinators to Your Yard!

One pollinator host plant is all it takes to invite your favorite butterfly or bee to your property. A host plant is the plant that the pollinator will rely on for food, shelter, and reproduction. The larvae need their specific host plants to survive.

For example, the host plant for Monarchs is the Butterfly Milkweed. For Black Swallowtails, the Golden Alexander.

Some pollinators may have a small selection of host plants, like the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail which can be attracted to wild black cherry, willow, and birch trees.

Not sure where to start your pollinator planning?
1. Check out Native Pollinators and pick some you love (and other insects) at: www.insectsofiowa.org/
2. Search for your pollinator's host plant (for best results look for Iowa based websites like the DNR, ISWEP, Rain Campaign, etc).
3. Learn how to care for and establish your host plant.
4. Get resources from or join the Plant. Grow. Fly. program: https://www.blankparkzoo.com/plantgrowfly

Learn about Iowa's Pollinators at: https://www.iowadnr.gov/programs-services/iowas-wildlife/pollinators

Address

1513 N Ankeny Boulevard, Ste 3
Ankeny, IA
50023

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

+15159641883

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Polk Soil and Water Conservation District - IA posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Polk Soil and Water Conservation District - IA:

Shortcuts

Share

Category