Iowa Admin. Code r. 193C-11.4
Descriptions defining land boundaries written for conveyance or other purposes shall be complete, providing definite and unequivocal identification of lines or boundaries. The description must contain dimensions sufficient to enable the description to be platted and retraced and describe the land surveyed either by government lot or by quarter-quarter section or by quarter section and identify the section, township, range and county; and by metes and bounds commencing with a corner monumented and established in the U.S. Public Land Survey System; or if such land is located in a recorded subdivision or recorded addition thereto, then by the number or other description of the lot, block or subdivision thereof that has been previously tied to a corner monumented and established by the U.S. Public Land Survey System. If the parcel is described by metes and bounds, it may be referenced to known lot or block corners in recorded subdivision or additions.
Iowa Admin. Code r. 193C-11.4