Settled in the 1840s, Iowa County was named for the Iowa River, which crosses the northern third of the county, and from which the state of Iowa also takes it name. Because of the river, several large stands of timber were historically found in the county, and many of them still persist, including the largest privately owned tract of timber in the state, owned by the Amana Society. The southern portion of the County was historically covered with rolling prairie ground, interspersed with a few prominent groves of trees, mainly along stream banks.
Today, Iowa County is home to a number of private and public prairie restorations, as well as a number of small original remnant areas. An extensive series of wetland restorations have been started along the course of the river. Primarily, the county is covered with agricultural land, woodlands and wet land areas.
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