Poweshiek County Conservation

Call Directions Website

Poweshiek County Conservation The Poweshiek County Conservation Board administers 11 park and wildlife areas that encompass over 2,400 acres of land dedicated to public use and enjoyment.

It's not too late to sign up for our birdhouse gourd workshop on Thursday 10/22 at 1:00 at the Foster Center at Diamond ...
10/20/2026

It's not too late to sign up for our birdhouse gourd workshop on Thursday 10/22 at 1:00 at the Foster Center at Diamond Lake. Text or call Naturalist Amy at 319-213-507 during business hours, or email [email protected] anytime. Look at our full program schedule on our website: www.poweshiekountyiowa.gov/conservation/events

Come out to Diamond Lake October 10th for an afternoon of fall fun! From 2:30 - 3:30 Trunk or Treating will be held in t...
09/30/2026

Come out to Diamond Lake October 10th for an afternoon of fall fun!

From 2:30 - 3:30 Trunk or Treating will be held in the "new campground" (sites 42-72)

If you are camping for the weekend, and would like to decorate your site and hand out candy set up in one of those sites. If those sites fill up consider setting a up a table or vehicle in the overflow parking areas, so you can still participate!

Sites will be numbered and visitors can vote for their favorite! The top 3 places will receive certificates for free nights of camping. Please remember this is a family friendly event!

As people finish Trunk or Treating, from 3:00- 6:00 we'll have more activities in the park including hayrack rides, fresh pressed apple c***r, pumpkin decorating, archery (for 1st grade and up), and more! Hayracks will depart from near the main campground marsh - near sites 21-24.

Depending on ground conditions parking will be available in front of the ranger house, on the hill near the trunk or treat loop, and near the pond east of the lake.

The campground will function as normal. Sites are offered on a first come, first served basis (we expect the park to fill up so you may want to come claim your site earlier in the week), quiet hours begin at 10 pm, no ATV/UTVs in the park, etc.

Diamond Lake: 9/27 Sunday eveningDog is missing their home. Gentle on a leash and very friendly. Contact staff or office...
09/28/2026

Diamond Lake: 9/27 Sunday evening
Dog is missing their home. Gentle on a leash and very friendly. Contact staff or office to pick up

Owner found and dog is headed back to their happy home. Thanks everyone for sharing and helping them reunite.

With our lake restoration project just around the corner (Sept 7th) don't forget about the other happenings with Poweshi...
08/28/2026

With our lake restoration project just around the corner (Sept 7th) don't forget about the other happenings with Poweshiek County Conservation's programs and events.

A few highlights:
- Final Diamond Lake kayaking events (for quite awhile!) will be Tuesday Sept 1 (8 spots available) and Saturday Sept. 5th at 8 am (15 spots) and 10 am (7 spots available)
- Nature Explorers (for pre-K through 5th grade) will begin September 15th and meeting every other Tuesday
- Trunk or Treat will be October 10th

See a photo of the schedule below or follow the link in the comments.

07/27/2026

A reminder that tomorrow we will have special guests for Nature Explorers! Mary the Iowa County naturalist will be bringing 2 live snakes. The program will be offered at 10 am and 1 pm.

Thursday we'll have paper making for all ages in the Foster Center from 10 am to 3 pm. Drop in any time.

Friday at 8 am we'll be doing an early morning walk in Fox Forest Wildlife area. RSVP by calling, texting, or emailing Naturalist Amy @ [email protected] or 319-213-5607.

07/23/2026

Notice to the Public: Fishing Regulations

In partnership with Iowa DNR and Lake Restorations, fishing regulations are relaxed for Diamond Lake; NOT adjacent ponds. These regulations remove length limits and daily limits. This is a temporary release, and will end September 7. More information can be found on regulations during this time with the DNR or Conservation Board office.

https://programs.iowadnr.gov/lakemanagement/FishIowa/LakeDetails/DIA79

This week and next are jam-packed with County Conservation programs! Which ones will you attend?- Wednesday July 22nd  @...
07/21/2026

This week and next are jam-packed with County Conservation programs! Which ones will you attend?

- Wednesday July 22nd @ 9:30 am: Monarch butterfly program with Brooklyn Library meet on the lawn at Brooklyn Community - Estates
Wednesday July 22nd @ 6 pm: Guided oak savanna hike at Grinnell College's Conard Environmental Research Station (south of I80 @ the Kellogg exit). RSVP to Amy at 319-213-5607 if you plan to attend.
- Thursday July 23rd @ 10:30 am: Go Fish! Crafts at Montezuma Public Library (Kids ages 6+ can make beaded fish keychains, and there will be stories and an indoor fishing activity for younger kids).
- Friday July 24th @ 9:00 am: Kayaking at Hawthorne Lake (south of Barnes City). Must RSVP to Amy to attend as boats are limited. Call 319-213-5607.

Next week July 27th-31st we will have activities at Diamond Lake and surrounding areas each day of the week!

We have a busy few weeks of public programs at Poweshiek County Conservation! Join us for the following fun events: Thur...
06/30/2026

We have a busy few weeks of public programs at Poweshiek County Conservation! Join us for the following fun events:

Thursday, July 2nd @ 6 pm join us for a slow paced prairie walk at Drake Community Library in Grinnell.

Friday, July 3rd: Public kayaking at Diamond Lake, free and open to beginners. All sessions start with a quick safety lesson. Call Amy at 319-213-5607 to reserve a spot.
- 8 am (5 spots)
-10 am (full!)

Monday July 6th @ 5pm: Meet at Diamond Lake's Main Shelter to walk the paved Stagecoach Trail toward Montezuma while the prairie is in peak mid-summer bloom. This will be about a mile along a paved trail at a slow pace.

Tuesday, July 7th @ 10 am and 1 pm: Come learn about Food Webs our free family program designed for kids in pre-K through 5th grade.

Tuesday, July 7th @ 6 pm: Public kayaking at Diamond Lake, free and open to beginners. All sessions start with a quick safety lesson. Call Amy at 319-213-5607 to reserve a spot.

Notice to the Public: please use caution while using the the wildlife area (marked in red) around the tree planting alon...
06/24/2026

Notice to the Public: please use caution while using the the wildlife area (marked in red) around the tree planting along the paved trail, north of Diamond Lake. It is signed. This area has a lot of large holes where staff have relocated approximately 80 swamp white oak trees. This area is engineered for lake sediment and spoil, this winter.

The fun side of this notice: woodland under current restoration plans around the lake have received legacy structure subsidization that will outlast the current composition of softer and faster growing woodland structure. More management to come!

*Tree map in the comments.

Check out a photo of our summer schedule here, or click the link in comments to see the live calendar and printable pdf ...
06/19/2026

Check out a photo of our summer schedule here, or click the link in comments to see the live calendar and printable pdf of the schedule on our County Conservation events page.

Address

4896 Stagecoach Road
Montezuma, IA
50171

Alerts

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

Share