Watershed ProtectionVacant, Administrator - Email |
 SD DENRJoe Foss Building 523 E. Capitol Ave. Pierre, SD 57501 (605) 773-3151 |
Any lake, river, or stream is a reflection of its watershed. Clean and healthy watersheds mean clean and healthy waters. The DENR Watershed Protection group works to assess, improve, restore, and maintain the health of South Dakota waters by providing local government bodies, natural resource management agencies, and the general public with information, funding, and technical assistance for watershed assessment and restoration projects.
The Watershed Protection staff:
- Assess waterbodies and watersheds for impairment.
- Recommend and provide funding for water quality implementation projects and Dakota Water Watch citizens monitoring program.
- Make recommendations to the Nonpoint Source Task Force for water quality improvement projects under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.
- Prepare Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reports for impaired waters.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Section 319 Funds Awarded
The Environmental Protection Agency has reviewed and approved the Section 319 funding recommendations for FFY2017 from the South Dakota Board of Water and Natural Resources. Six water quality improvement projects received funding. These goal of these projects is to improve water quality by reducing the amount of nonpoint source pollution that reaches lakes and streams in South Dakota. Click here to see project descriptions, applications, funding recommendations, and approved funding plans.
DENR 2016 Integrated Report Approved by EPA
DENR has received U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval of its 2016 Integrated Report. The biennial report, required under the federal Clean Water Act, is used by the state to identify impaired waterbodies in South Dakota. The report contains an assessment of the surface water quality of South Dakota's waters, a description of South Dakota's water quality monitoring programs, pollutants causing impairments of the water bodies and identification of waters targeted for total maximum daily load development. A total maximum daily load (TMDL) is a determination of the amount of pollution a waterbody can receive and still maintain water quality standards. To see the EPA approval letter...
DENR has partnered with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the City of Sioux Falls to improve water quality in Skunk Creek. This project is part of the National Water Quality Initiative, which targets small, high priority watersheds where on-farm conservation efforts will deliever the greatest water quality improvements. Click here more information about the Skunk Creek NWQI project.
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