There have been many headlines and articles highlighting unsuccessful efforts to promote and develop riparian buffers along the Big Sioux River and other rivers in South Dakota. But here’s a report about a program that is making a difference.

The steady successes of the Big Sioux River Project (BSRP) and its promotion of best management practices for lands within the Big Sioux River watershed are worth noting for several reasons. After developing innovative conservation strategies, more than eighty-five miles of rivers and streams in the Big Sioux watershed have been protected, including 3,295.3 acres enrolled into buffers during the last decade. Implementation of improved livestock grazing, feeding management, and manure utilization as natural fertilizer are also valuable practices implemented by the BSRP to prevent water degradation.

Buffer promotion has been underway since 2008 through the Big Sioux River Project’s RAM (Riparian Area Management) program and since 2013 through SRAM (Seasonal Riparian Area Management). The BSRP’s successes hinge on its multi-pronged approach to stewardship, which includes innovative cropping and conservation strategies along priority riparian areas within the watershed. The BSRP has evolved to develop close relationships with partners while applying sound conservation practices that involve landowner engagement and participation to achieve common goals.

Sponsored by the Minnehaha Conservation District and staffed by the East Dakota Water Development District, based in Brookings, SD, the BSRP prevents considerable amounts of pollution from entering the Big Sioux River. This includes, annually, 179,776 pounds of nitrogen, 46,662 pounds of phosphorus, and approximately 14,246 tons of sediment. It is also estimated that massive amounts of E. coli (in the quadrillions) are prevented from reaching the river each year. Residents of the Big Sioux River watershed should be excited about the result of the BSRP’s continued collaboration between partners and landowners.

Along with the Big Sioux River Project, other organizations and agencies have continued supporting the effort to improve water quality in the Big Sioux River watershed. These groups include the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the cities of Dell Rapids and Sioux Falls, South Dakota’s conservation districts, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and several non-profit conservation organizations, including Friends of the Big Sioux River and Northern Prairies Land Trust.