This agreement is to fund the state of south dakota's water quality management planning program to improve impaired water and protect unimpaired waters across the state by conducting planning that…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 awarded $212,000 through the Water Quality Management Planning program (CFDA 66.454) to the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) on September 15, 2025, with completion expected by September 30, 2028. This formula grant, funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, supports South Dakota's water quality management planning initiatives designed to improve impaired waters and protect unimpaired waters across the state. DANR will conduct water quality assessments of selected lakes and streams in the Lower James and Vermillion River Basins as part of its Rotating Basins Project, collecting data to support Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) development, best management practice effectiveness evaluation, trend monitoring, and source water monitoring. Additionally, DANR will develop a watershed characterization to assess current conditions in Spearfish Creek and fund salaries for staff, a grant manager, and summer interns supporting field work activities.

Sub-award activities will be implemented to advance water quality improvement across South Dakota through multiple projects, including cyanotoxin sampling at selected waterbodies to identify emerging contaminants. In accordance with Clean Water Act Section 205(j)(3), a minimum of 40 percent of the funding will be passed through to regional or interstate watershed management planning agencies unless a waiver is approved by the EPA. The grant's structured approach ensures comprehensive water quality monitoring, planning capacity, and technical implementation across multiple basins and watersheds.

This agreement is to fund the state of south dakota's water quality management planning program to improve impaired water and protect unimpaired waters across the state by conducting planning that informs and supports implementation of clean water act programs. In accordance with clean water act section 205(J)(3), unless a waiver request is approved by EPA, the recipient will jointly develop workplans with and passthrough at least 40% of funding to regional or interstate watershed management planning agencies. This agreement is supported by funding provided under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) (PL 117-58). Activities:the activities to be performed include the following water quality management planning activities: providing for the assessment of selected lakes and streams in the lower james and vermillion river basins in south dakota as part of the department of agriculture and natural resources (DANR) rotating basins project; collecting water quality data that will be used for a total maximum daily load (TMDL) development, assessing best management practice effectiveness, trend monitoring, and source water monitoring, providing salaries for DANR staff, grant manager, and summer interns assisting with field work; and developing a watershed characterization to assess and describe current conditions in spearfish creek. Subrecipient:subaward activities to be implemented include efforts to improve impaired water and protect unimpaired waters across the state of south dakota through three projects. The first is the rotating basins project - lower james/vermillion river basin assessment, and the goal of this project is to provide for the assessment of selected lakes and streams in selected lakes in streams in the lower james and vermillion river basins of south dakota as part of the DANR rotating basins project. Cyanotoxin sampling will be conducted at selected waterbodies and analysis will be covered using funding allocated to the emerging contaminants portion of BIL funds. The second project is the south central water quality monitoring project segment 2, and the goal of this project is to collect WQ data that will be used for TMDL development, assessing BMP effectiveness, trend monitoring, and source water monitoring. This project will also provide funding for supplies and monitoring equipment for water quality sampling. The third project is the spearfish creek protection plan and the goal of this project is to assess and describe current conditions through a watershed characterization of spearfish creek with a central focus on developing a blueprint for watershed management and protection activities. Outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include cyanotoxin sampling analysis; water quality analyses results, and water quality data that will be used for TMDL developing, assessing BMP effectiveness, trend monitoring, source water monitoring and protection planning. The expected outcomes include resulting from these efforts include water quality trend analyses and water quality analyses results. The intended beneficiaries include the citizens of south dakota.