In August, the City of Sioux Falls dug up a 3.9 acre stretch along the Big Sioux and planted it to native prairie grasses. This is part of a plan to decontaminate the Big Sioux River, a source of drinking water for 169,000 people. Sioux Falls has also pledged $2.5 million to a $4.5 million dollar project that will compensate upriver farmers who are willing to regulate their manure systems and put land into buffer strips.According to the Washington Times, 70% of South Dakota rivers are at impaired by chemical runoff, and the Big Sioux River is at risk. Hopefully, more cities will follow Sioux Falls's lead in combating river pollution.To read the feature on this project, click here.