About the Survey

In early 2024, Friends of the Big Sioux River (FBSR) released a survey to obtain community members' opinions on water issues in the Big Sioux River watershed. FBSR developed the Big Sioux River Survey to ensure that our water advocacy nonprofit prioritizes issues that constituents and stakeholders care about. The survey was shared via FBSR’s social media, e-newsletter, and website, making most survey participants predisposed to FBSR’s work.

Survey participants answered questions about topics related to river recreation, pollution, water issues, and water quality. Participants also had the option to provide additional feedback at the end of the survey. These comments contained a mix of emotions, from dissatisfaction to sadness to hope and love for the Big Sioux River. In total, 118 people took the Big Sioux River Survey and provided feedback that inspires all of us at Friends of the Big Sioux River to continue working toward a better future for our beloved river.

Key Takeaways

• Two-thirds of survey participants do not use the Big Sioux River for recreation. Of those, approximately 34% do not use the river because they are uncomfortable with the level of pollution. Over 41% of all participants believe recreation safety issues are an extremely important issue in the watershed.

• Survey participants believe pollution from agriculture and pollution from cities to be the most important issues in the Big Sioux River watershed.

• E. coli and pesticides are believed to be the two largest pollutants in the watershed.

• Over 75% of survey participants are at least dissatisfied with the water quality of the Big Sioux River.

• When asked what is the first word that comes to mind when you think of the Big Sioux River, the top three responses were dirty, polluted, and sewer.

• 95% of survey participants do not think enough is being done to improve water quality in the Big Sioux River watershed.

• Many survey participants wrote additional comments at the end of the survey. Three key themes stood out from these comments. 1) There is a need for mandatory buffer strips and better legislative enforcement of water quality violations. 2) We are headed in the right direction, but there is still a lot of work to do, and more public education is needed. 3) The river should be the focal point of the area and be a source of pride rather than sadness.