The project focuses on developing and enhancing water quality monitoring across south dakota

EPA Region 8 awarded The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources $168,775 on March 15, 2026, under the Water Pollution Control State, Interstate, and Tribal Program Support (CFDA 66.419) formula grant program to develop and enhance water quality monitoring across South Dakota.

The recipient will build a wadeable stream reference site network in specific ecoregions to gather statistically valid water quality data, expand lake monitoring and assessment capacity with emphasis on harmful algae blooms (HABs), and conduct use attainability assessments to determine appropriate recreational beneficial use designations for waterbodies. The award funds statewide streamflow monitoring network continuation to support flood prediction and total maximum daily load (TMDL) development, and supports the state's transition to the KISTER/WISKI platform for water quality database management and maintenance. Deliverables include expanded biological monitoring capacity, integration of HABs monitoring into lake assessment efforts, intern support for beneficial use attainability assessments, and maintenance of the state's long-term continuous stage and discharge monitoring network.

Period of performance runs through September 30, 2030. Place of performance is South Dakota. No subawards are included in this assistance agreement.

IT aims to build a wadeable stream reference site network in specific ecoregions to gather statistically valid data for characterizing water quality. The project also seeks to expand lake monitoring and assessment capacity, particularly focusing on lakes prone to harmful algae blooms (HABS), to improve public awareness and knowledge. Additionally, IT includes use attainability assessments to determine appropriate recreational beneficial use designations for several waterbodies. The project supports the state's continuous stream gage network for flood prediction and total maximum daily load (TMDL) development, and transitions the water quality database to a new platform for improved data management.activities:the activities to be performed include: - stream reference site development - statewide lakes assessment/HABS development - use attainability assessment - statewide streamflow monitoring network - kister/wiski WQ database development subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the deliverables include: - continuation to build state's stream reference site network and increase biological monitoring and assessment capacity - expansion of lake monitoring capacity in south dakota and continued integration of HABS monitoring - continued intern support for statewide beneficial use attainability assessments - continued support for the states long-term continuous stage/discharge monitoring network - continued support for the states transition to the kister's wiski platform for water quality database and its continued maintenance.