Water Resources of South Dakota

Realtime Streamflow

Current Activities

Project Highlights

Madison Aquifer Study in Rapid City Area

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the city of Rapid City have had a long-term cooperative relationship to conduct hydrologic investigations to better understand the complex system that supplies water to Rapid City and the surrounding area. The objectives of the study include maintaining a water-level monitoring network, conducting aquifer tests, analyzing ground-water flow paths using environmental and anthropogenic tracers, compiling and evaluating water budgets, and developing conceptual and numerical models of the aquifers.

Several reports are available for this project, including: (1) A conceptual model of the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers in the Rapid City area, (2) Numerical Groundwater-Flow Model of the Madison and Minneslua aquifers in the Rapid City area, and (3) Analysis of ground-water flow in the Madison aquifer using fluorescent dyes. Additional information about this project also is available.

Other highlights are:

• Missouri River Water Information Portal
  • Download real-time flow KML
• 2010 Western South Dakota Hydrology Conference & 62nd annual Rocky Mountain Section Geological Society of America - April 21-23
• 2009 Eastern South Dakota Water Conference - November 2-3
• Pennington County Ground-Water Levels
• USGS FY2010 Budget Status

Featured Publication

The report "Numerical Groundwater-Flow Model of the Minnelusa and Madison Hydrogeologic Units in the Rapid City Area, South Dakota" was completed in cooperation with the city of Rapid City. The report documents the development of a numerical groundwater-flow model of the Minnelusa and Madison hydrogeologic units, which contain the Minnelusa and Madison aquifers in the Rapid City area. The report presents simulated responses to stress. The report is available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2009/5205/.

USGS in the News

• Eastern South Dakota Water Conference set for Nov. 2-3 (Sept. 16, 2009)
• Conflicting interests clash over S.D. lakes (June 28, 2009)
• Lake Poinsett focus of battle over letting in Big Sioux water (June 28, 2009)
• Elementary students learn the importance of water (May 12, 2009)
• How climate 'changed' the Mighty Mo (April 26, 2009)
• Encounter Center program: Climate change (April 23, 2009)
• Water conference in Rapid City (April 23, 2009)
• Hydrology conference to focus on uranium mining, septic tanks, and more (April 15, 2009)
• Ogallala aquifer has shrunk 9 percent, new report says (April 14, 2009)
• Flood-prone area urged to 'be aware' (April 9, 2009)
• Spring showers a concern (April 6, 2009)
• Midwest still on alert: Second wave of flooding on its way (April 3, 2009)
• Local flooding nears high water mark (March 28, 2009)
• Heavy rainfall causes problems (March 24, 2009)
• Local flooding? (March 22, 2009)
• Columbia Flooding Concerns (March 19, 2009)
• Something's in the water (February 25, 2009)
• Federal report examines water use in SD (February 5, 2009)
• Water use down overall in South Dakota (February 3, 2009)

Featured Video

Streamgages: The Silent Superhero

Whether you drink water from your tap, use electricity or canoe down your local river, chances are you benefit from USGS streamgage information. So what is a streamgage and what does it do for you? This CoreCast episode gives you the inside scoop on your silent superhero.