WSP00945

• File Number: 8442.400
• Description: Missouri Basin - Pick Sloan Project - Reports
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 2/28/1985
• Author: DoI, BoR
• Title: Lake Andes - Wagner Unit Planning Report / draft Enviromental Statement
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

2. NEED FOR ACTION

I
I

Irrigation

I
I

South Dakota lost 509,000 acresll of land to the four Missouri River
mainstem reservoirs constructed in the 1950's as part of the pick-Sloan
Missouri Basin Program (P-S MBP). These lands include 138,000 acres of
fertile bottom croplands, 238,000 acres of high-quality grazing lands, and
133,000 acres of timber and brush..!.! Residents in South Dakota counted on
new irrigat ion to just ify ,the large sacrifice in agricultural lands which
the reservoirs required. The 509,000 flooded acres also represented the
region's most diverse contiguous and important wildlife habitat areas;

I

The commerce of the area depends heavily on the agricultural economy.

Because the rainfall is erratic with inte~ittent droughts, the local agri-

cultural economy fluctuates widely. Stability in agricultural production

is a definite need for tbe economy of Charles Mix County which has a low

per capita income, and development which would create jobs would be

welcome. Since 1950, Charles Mix County bas experienced a net out-

migration, particularly in the age group 20 to 45. Unlike a recently

observed national trend, the area is expeuiencing no reversal of the

decline in rural population. About 17.5 percent of the county population

,
(20 percent in the project area) are nati~e Americans of the Yankton sioux

Tribe. The average unemployment rate amo~g the Tribe's work force is about

75 percent.

I
I
I
I
I
I
I

In most years, rainfall in tbe study area is neither adequate nor timely to

achieve the maximum productive capacity of, the land; Hardly a summer passes

without an extended dry period. These short drought periods do not

generally result in complete crop failure;: however, they do reduce the

yields nearly every year. Irrigat ion development is needed to provide an

adequate and timely moisture supply for c~op production, which in turn

would stabilize and increase agricultural production in the area.

I
I

I

I

.!.! Based on Senator James Abdnor's statem~nt made in the U.S. Senate on
January 22, 1985, introducing legiSlation authorizing the construction
of the Lake Andes-Wagner irrigation prQject.

4

I
I
I