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. . . Western States Water Council Full Council Minutes Sioux Falls, South Dakota May 4, 2007 Water use is regulated through water right permits that are issued under the Appropriation Doctrine, as in many other western states. Irrigation is the largest water use. Ground water use accounts for 84% of irrigation, again mostly east river. Similarly, surface water use is dominated by irrigation, but most is west river or along the Missouri. Water availability is a problem. There needs to be a reasonable chance that water will be available to issue a water right. Many aquifers are fully appropriated and ground water mining is prohibited. To issue a ground water right, total use must not exceed the average recharge rate. Many Black Hills streams are fully appropriated. Ensuring there is enough water for people is another challenge. There are vast areas with no water, little water or poor water ranging from economically poor areas to the highest growth areas. Growth in South Dakota is concentrated in the Black Hills, along the 1-29 corridor and in Sioux Falls. To meet its needs, Rapid City is buying surface water irrigation rights and developing deep wells in the Madison formation. Most of the rest of the State looks to the Missouri River for a dependable and high quality water supply. Steve showed a slide of South Dakota's rural water systems, with a map of state coverage. A Perkins Co. project is under construction (and taps North Dakota's pipeline). He noted the Bureau of Reclamation has been a valuable partner in many of these rural water supply systems, including the Mini Wiconi project. A Southern Black Hills project is in the conceptual stage. The Lewis and Clark project, around Sioux Falls, will serve one ofthe State's highest growth areas. It includes wells along the Missouri River near Vermillion, and will also serve Iowa and Minnesota communities. The third challenge Steve discussed was the need for new and upgraded water infrastructure, due to expiring design life and new drinking water regulations. There is never enough money. He described South Dakota's state water planning process and funding approach. They try to partner with federal agency they can - the Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency and Reclamation. There is also an effort to consolidate smaller projects. The State helps finance larger projects using the State Water & Environment Fund. There is an annual Governor's Omnibus Water Funding Bill. The State Water & Environment Fund, since 1993, has received dedicated funds totaling about $6.5 million to $8 million annually for water projects and another $2.25 million annually for solid waste and recycling. There is also a State Capital Construction Fund. The 2007 Governor's omnibus bill included $5.2 million for four rural water systems. At present, a fourth major challenge involves low water levels in Upper Missouri River Reservoirs, following the 8th year of drought in the basin, which is affecting fisheries, recreation, drinking water intakes and irrigation. The Missouri River Basin covers eight states and stretches from Three Forks, Montana to St. Louis, Missouri. It drains 1/6 of the land area of the United States. At a length of 2,341 miles, it is the longest river. Major reservoirs on the Missouri include: Fort Peck, Garrison, Oahe, Big Bend, Fort Randall, and Gavins Point. Lake Oahe's storage capacity is 23.5 million acre-feet (Mat), compared to smaller mainstem reservoirs in South Dakota, including Lake Sharpe (1,859,000 Mat), Lake Francis Case (5.7 Mat) and Lewis & Clark Lake (492,000 acre-feet). Total Missouri River storage capacity in South Dakota is over 31.5 Maf. 3