U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5216

Prepared in cooperation with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and the 

South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005
Cover photographs left to right:

Livestock water use. Photograph by Kathleen M. Neitzert.

Aquaculture water use. Photograph by Michael T. Carter.

Industrial water use. Photograph by Kathleen M. Neitzert.

Domestic water use. Photograph by Janet M. Carter.

Instream water use. Photograph courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Irrigation water use. Photograph by Kathleen M. Neitzert.

Public-supply water use. Photograph by Janet M. Carter.

Livestock water use. Photograph by Hopa Yellow Horse.
Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005

By Janet M. Carter and Kathleen M. Neitzert

Prepared in cooperation with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and 

the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5216

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Mark D. Myers, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2008

This and other USGS information products are available at http://store.usgs.gov/

U.S. Geological Survey 

Box 25286, Denver Federal Center 

Denver, CO 80225

To learn about the USGS and its information products visit http://www.usgs.gov/

1-888-ASK-USGS

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the 

U.S. Government.

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to 

reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.

Suggested citation:

Carter, J.M., and Neitzert, K.M., 2008, Estimated use of water in South Dakota, 2005: U.S. Geological Survey 

Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5216, 30 p.
iii

Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Data-Collection Methods..............................................................................................................................2

Estimated Use of Water................................................................................................................................2

Offstream Use........................................................................................................................................2

Public Supply..............................................................................................................................10

Domestic......................................................................................................................................15

Industrial......................................................................................................................................17

Thermoelectric Power..............................................................................................................18

Mining .........................................................................................................................................19

Livestock......................................................................................................................................20

Aquaculture ................................................................................................................................22

Irrigation......................................................................................................................................23

Instream Use........................................................................................................................................26

Changes in Water Use, 1985–2005 ............................................................................................................27

Summary........................................................................................................................................................29

References Cited..........................................................................................................................................30

Figures

1. Map showing total water withdrawals in South Dakota by county, 2005 ...........................3

2. Graph showing total water withdrawals from ground water and surface water 

in South Dakota by water-use category, 2005 .........................................................................4

3. Map showing total ground-water withdrawals in South Dakota by county, 2005.............5

4. Graph showing ground-water withdrawals in South Dakota by water-use 

category, 2005................................................................................................................................6

5. Map showing total surface-water withdrawals in South Dakota by county, 2005............7

6–10. Graphs showing:

6. Surface-water withdrawals in South Dakota by water-use category, 2005..............8

7. Changes in water use and total State population in South Dakota, 

1985–2005 ............................................................................................................................27

8. Changes in irrigation water use and acres irrigated in South Dakota, 

1985–2005 ............................................................................................................................28
iv

Tables

1. Total population and water withdrawals by county in South Dakota, 2005 ........................9

2. Estimated population served and withdrawals for public supply by county in 

South Dakota, 2005 .....................................................................................................................11

3. Estimated public-supply domestic water deliveries and percentage of county 

population served by public supplies, by county in South Dakota, 2005...........................13

4. Estimated self-supplied domestic water withdrawals for counties with this use 

in South Dakota, 2005.................................................................................................................16

5. Estimated self-supplied industrial water withdrawals for counties with this use 

in South Dakota, 2005.................................................................................................................17

6. Estimated total thermoelectric power water use for counties with this use in 

South Dakota, 2005 .....................................................................................................................18

7. Estimated fossil-fuel thermoelectric power water use for counties with this use 

in South Dakota, 2005.................................................................................................................18

8. Estimated geothermal thermoelectric power water use for counties with this use 

in South Dakota, 2005.................................................................................................................18

9. Estimated self-supplied mining water withdrawals for counties with this use in 

South Dakota, 2005 .....................................................................................................................19

10. Estimated livestock water use by county in South Dakota, 2005 .......................................21

11. Estimated aquaculture water use for counties with this use in South Dakota, 

2005 ...............................................................................................................................................22

12. Estimated irrigation withdrawals and acreage irrigated by county in South 

Dakota, 2005.................................................................................................................................24

13. Estimated hydroelectric power water use for counties with this use in South 

Dakota, 2005.................................................................................................................................26

9. Changes in water use for public supply and population served in South 

Dakota, 1985–2005 .............................................................................................................28

10. Changes in self-supplied domestic water use and self-supplied population 

in South Dakota, 1985–2005..............................................................................................29
v

Conversion Factors

Multiply By To obtain

Area

acre 4,047 square meter (m2)

Volume

gallon (gal) 3.785 liter (L) 

million gallons (Mgal) 3,785 cubic meter (m3)

Flow rate

acre-foot per year (acre-ft/yr) 1,233 cubic meter per year (m3/yr)

gallon per day (gal/d) 0.003785 cubic meter per day (m3/d)

million gallons per day (Mgal/d) 0.04381 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27).

Acronyms

AWUDS Aggregated Water-Use Data System

SDDENR South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources

SWUDS Site-Specific Water-Use Data System 

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005

By Janet M. Carter and Kathleen M. Neitzert

Abstract

During 2005, withdrawals from ground-water and 

surface-water sources in South Dakota for the eight categories of offstream use totaled about 500 million gallons per 

day (Mgal/d). Of total withdrawals, about 271 Mgal/d was 

withdrawn from ground water and about 230 Mgal/d was withdrawn from surface water. The largest use of water in South 

Dakota during 2005 was irrigation, which accounted for about 

58 percent of the total water withdrawn, followed by public 

supply, which accounted for about 20 percent of withdrawals. 

Public-supply systems served about 666,210 people, 

or about 86 percent of South Dakota’s population in 2005. 

Public-supply systems withdrew about 100 Mgal/d in 2005. 

Ground-water withdrawals accounted for about 66 percent of 

the total withdrawals (66 Mgal/d), and surface-water withdrawals accounted for about 34 percent of total withdrawals 

(35 Mgal/d). Total public-supply withdrawals averaged about 

151 gallons per day (gal/d) per capita. About 65 percent of the 

public-supply water was used for domestic purposes, and the 

average per capita domestic use was 99 gal/d.

Self-supplied domestic withdrawals were about 8 Mgal/d, 

all of which was from ground water. About 109,750 people 

obtained household water from private wells in 2005, and per 

capita use was about 70 gal/d.

Industrial self-supplied water use during 2005 was about 

4 Mgal/d, of which about 98 percent was from ground water 

and about 2 percent was from surface water. Total withdrawals 

for thermoelectric use were about 5 Mgal/d, of which about 

1 Mgal/d was from ground water and about 4 Mgal/d was from 

surface water. Total mining water use was about 10 Mgal/d, 

of which about 5 Mgal/d came from ground water and about 

6 Mgal/d came from surface water. Total livestock water use 

was about 48 Mgal/d, of which about 19 Mgal/d came from 

ground water and about 28 Mgal/d came from surface water. 

Total aquaculture use was about 33 Mgal/d, of which about 

19 Mgal/d came from ground water and about 14 Mgal/d came 

from surface water.

Irrigation withdrawals during 2005 totaled about 

292 Mgal/d, of which about 149 Mgal/d was from groundwater sources and about 143 Mgal/d was from surface-water 

sources. An estimated 421,830 acres was irrigated during 

2005. Of the total acres irrigated, 298,160 acres was irrigated 

by sprinkler application and 123,670 acres was irrigated by 

surface (or flood) application.

The only instream use reported for South Dakota was 

for hydroelectric power generation. During 2005, about 

68,400 Mgal/d was used by the hydroelectric powerplants to 

generate about 3,688 gigawatt-hours of electricity.

Total water use in South Dakota decreased by about 

25 percent (175 Mgal/d) between 1985 and 2005 despite an 

increase in the State’s population of about 70,000 people. 

Total ground-water use increased slightly (about 21 Mgal/d) 

between 1985 and 2005, whereas surface-water use decreased 

by about 195 Mgal/d. The decreases in both total use and 

surface-water use are mostly attributable to decreases in 

irrigation water use. Total irrigation water use decreased by 

about 168 Mgal/d between 1985 and 2005, and surface-water 

irrigation use decreased by about 204 Mgal/d. Ground-water 

irrigation use increased by about 36 Mgal/d between 1985 and 

2005.

Water use for public supply increased about 20 Mgal/d 

between 1985 and 2005, and the population served by public 

suppliers increased by about 118,000 people. In contrast, the 

number of people relying on private wells for domestic use 

decreased by about 48,000 between 1985 and 2005. All selfsupplied domestic water use in 2005 was supplied by ground 

water. Total domestic use decreased about 8 Mgal/d between 

1985 and 2005.

Introduction

Social and economic development in the United States 

depend on the availability of usable water. In 1950, the U.S. 

Geological Survey (USGS) began publishing water-use data 

on a national level every 5 years to assist in the management 

of our Nation’s water resources. In 2000, about 408 billion 

gallons per day was withdrawn in the United States for all uses 

(Hutson and others, 2004).

In 1977, Congress authorized the National Water-Use 

Information Program. The program encourages the USGS and 

a State-level agency in each of the 50 States to cooperate in 

the collection and dissemination of water-use data. The USGS 

and the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural 

Resources (SDDENR), Water Rights Program cooperated in 
2 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005

the collection and compilation of South Dakota water-use data 

for 2005.

In South Dakota, agriculture and industry depend to a 

large extent on an adequate supply of good quality water. 

Water-use data compiled for South Dakota as part of the 

National Water-Use Information Program provide important 

information on withdrawals and trends to water-resources 

users, managers, and researchers. In addition to national 

water-use summaries since 1950 (MacKichan, 1951, 1957; 

MacKichan and Kammerer, 1961; Murray, 1968; Murray and 

Reeves, 1972, 1977; Solley and others, 1983, 1988, 1993, 

1998; Hutson and others, 2004), the USGS has published 

reports on water use in South Dakota for 1985, 1995, and 

2000 (Benson and Winterton, 1988; Amundson, 1998, 2002). 

This 2005 water-use report for South Dakota was prepared in 

cooperation with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture 

and the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural 

Resources.

This report describes estimated water use in South 

Dakota that is based on the total withdrawals from ground- and 

surface-water resources by county for 2005. Eight categories 

of offstream water use—public supply, domestic, industrial, 

thermoelectric power, mining, livestock, aquaculture, and 

irrigation—and one instream use (hydroelectric power generation) are described in this report. Offstream use represents all 

water diverted or withdrawn from a ground- or surface-water 

source and conveyed to a place of use. Instream use refers 

to water that is used but not withdrawn from a surface-water 

source. Changes in water use in South Dakota from 1985 to 

2005 also are described. The water-use estimates presented in 

this report are not equivalent to water consumed (consumptive use), which refers to that part of water withdrawn that 

is no longer available because it has been incorporated into 

products and crops, consumed by man or livestock, or otherwise removed from the water environment; for example, some 

water withdrawn for irrigation purposes is not consumed but 

rather is returned to its source after being used for crop irrigation.

Data-Collection Methods

Water-use data for 2005 were collected and compiled 

by the SDDENR in cooperation with the USGS. SDDENR 

mailed out a water-use questionnaire to each entity that has a 

SDDENR permit to withdraw water requesting total withdrawals, acres (for irrigation sites), and the sources of withdrawals. The reported irrigation data were compiled by SDDENR 

and provided to the USGS as a database file; these data then 

were entered by the USGS into a Site-Specific Water-Use 

Data System (SWUDS). For other water uses, SDDENR sent 

the completed questionnaires to the USGS where they were 

compiled and entered into SWUDS. Telephone follow-ups 

were used, if needed, for additional information or clarification of data. All SWUDS data then were aggregated by wateruse category and county and stored in the USGS Aggregated 

Water-Use Data System (AWUDS; http://water.usgs.gov/

watuse/wuawuds.html).

Estimated Use of Water

This section of the report describes estimated water use 

in South Dakota for 2005. Estimated water use is presented 

for eight categories of offstream water use—public supply, 

domestic, industrial, thermoelectric power, mining, livestock, 

aquaculture, and irrigation—and one instream use (hydroelectric power generation).

Offstream Use

Water-use information was compiled for eight categories of offstream use during 2005. The eight categories of 

offstream use are public supply, domestic, industrial, thermoelectric, mining, livestock, aquaculture, and irrigation. During 

2005, withdrawals from ground-water and surface-water 

sources in South Dakota for the eight categories of offstream 

use totaled 500.35 million gallons per day (Mgal/d; table 1). 

Total withdrawals by county are shown in figure 1. The 

largest withdrawals (greater than 20 Mgal/d) occurred in 

Butte, Pennington, Minnehaha, Fall River, Hughes, Spink, 

and Turner Counties. Total withdrawals by category of use 

are shown in figure 2. The largest use of water in South 

Dakota during 2005 was irrigation, which accounted for about 

58 percent of the total water withdrawn, followed by public 

supply, which accounted for about 20 percent of withdrawals.

Of total withdrawals, 270.59 Mgal/d, or about 54 percent 

of the total, was withdrawn from ground water (table 1). The 

largest ground-water withdrawals were in Pennington and 

Minnehaha Counties (fig. 3). Ground-water withdrawals by 

category are shown in figure 4. Similar to the total water withdrawn, the categories with the largest ground-water withdrawals were irrigation (about 55 percent of total ground-water 

withdrawals) and public supply (about 24 percent of total 

ground-water withdrawals).

Of total withdrawals, 229.76 Mgal/d, or about 46 percent 

of the total, was withdrawn from surface water (table 1). The 

largest surface-water withdrawals were in Butte, Fall River, 

and Hughes Counties (fig. 5). Surface-water withdrawals by 

category are shown in figure 6. Irrigation and public supply 

had the largest withdrawals from surface water, accounting for 

about 62 and 15 percent, respectively, of total surface-water 

withdrawals.
Table 1. Total population and water withdrawals by county in South Dakota, 2005.

County Population, 

in thousands

Water withdrawals, 

in million gallons per day

Ground 

water 

Surface 

water Total

Aurora 2.90 0.37 0.45 0.82

Beadle 15.90 10.69 1.35 12.04

Bennett 3.59 9.49 .29 9.78

Bon Homme 7.09 2.79 3.57 6.36

Brookings 28.12 13.65 1.40 15.05

Brown 34.71 3.53 4.36 7.89

Brule 5.19 .41 2.32 2.73

Buffalo 2.10 .42 4.89 5.31

Butte 9.33 5.27 46.03 51.30

Campbell 1.57 2.28 .24 2.52

Charles Mix 9.19 3.49 10.70 14.19

Clark 3.80 5.55 .71 6.26

Clay 13.00 6.68 .29 6.97

Codington 26.01 7.22 1.30 8.52

Corson 4.37 .70 .85 1.55

Custer 7.90 1.03 6.78 7.81

Davison 18.78 .90 .68 1.58

Day 5.76 3.00 .99 3.99

Deuel 4.30 1.31 .46 1.77

Dewey 6.16 .47 .71 1.18

Douglas 3.31 2.64 .54 3.18

Edmunds 4.11 .72 .61 1.33

Fall River 7.36 1.89 24.65 26.54

Faulk 2.39 .32 .49 .81

Grant 7.38 4.04 4.94 8.98

Gregory 4.29 .93 1.54 2.47

Haakon 1.91 .50 1.42 1.92

Hamlin 5.71 5.88 .31 6.19

Hand 3.31 1.45 .75 2.20

Hanson 3.75 .56 .87 1.43

Harding 1.22 .42 1.27 1.69

Hughes 16.88 4.06 21.24 25.30

Hutchinson 7.58 1.61 1.19 2.80

Hyde 1.61 .49 .30 .79

County Population, 

in thousands

Water withdrawals, 

in million gallons per day

Ground 

water 

Surface 

water Total

Jackson 2.86 0.61 2.55 3.16

Jerauld 2.14 1.51 .60 2.11

Jones 1.03 .17 .58 .75

Kingsbury 5.53 3.31 1.19 4.50

Lake 11.04 1.31 .46 1.77

Lawrence 22.40 5.87 7.00 12.87

Lincoln 33.38 3.76 .53 4.29

Lyman 3.92 .35 2.12 2.47

McCook 5.93 1.04 .48 1.52

McPherson 2.62 1.84 1.32 3.16

Marshall 4.42 1.38 .91 2.29

Meade 24.62 3.23 6.11 9.34

Mellette 2.09 .50 1.99 2.49

Miner 2.58 .30 .38 .68

Minnehaha 160.09 24.45 7.72 32.17

Moody 6.64 2.28 .82 3.10

Pennington 93.58 25.84 9.49 35.33

Perkins 3.02 .62 .86 1.48

Potter 2.35 1.16 .27 1.43

Roberts 10.04 2.96 .27 3.23

Sanborn 2.54 .35 .41 .76

Shannon 13.66 1.14 .28 1.42

Spink 6.90 19.24 2.65 21.89

Stanley 2.83 .63 .29 .92

Sully 1.43 1.57 8.44 10.01

Todd 9.88 10.55 .89 11.44

Tripp 6.07 3.32 2.74 6.06

Turner 8.52 19.99 .75 20.74

Union 13.46 18.09 .53 18.62

Walworth 5.49 .90 6.36 7.26

Yankton 21.72 7.35 12.01 19.36

Ziebach 2.63 .21 .27 .48

Total 775.93 270.59 229.76 500.35

Estimated Use of Water 3
Figure 1. Total water withdrawals in South Dakota by county, 2005.

HARDING

BUTTE

MEADE

LAWRENCE

PENNINGTON

CUSTER

FALL RIVER SHANNON

BENNETT

MELLETTE

TODD

JACKSON

HAAKON

ZIEBACH

DEWEY

STANLEY

JONES

LYMAN

TRIPP

DOUGLAS

HUTCHINSON TURNER

BRULE AURORA

DAVISON HANSON MC COOK MINNEHAHA

MOODY LAKE MINER SANBORN

JERAULD BUFFALO

SULLY

HUGHES

HYDE

HAND

BEADLE

KINGSBURY BROOKINGS

LINCOLN

UNION

18.62

CLAY

YANKTON BON HOMME

GREGORY

CHARLES MIX

PERKINS

CORSON

DEUEL

HAMLIN

CODINGTON

GRANT

CLARK

SPINK

FAULK POTTER

CAMPBELL

WALWORTH

MC PHERSON

EDMUNDS

BROWN

MARSHALL

DAY

ROBERTS 1.69

1.48

9.34

7.81

1.42

9.78 11.44

6.06

2.49

0.75

2.47

0.92 1.92

0.48

1.18

1.55 2.52 3.16

7.89

2.29

3.99

3.23

8.98

1.77

15.05 4.50

12.04

2.20

5.31 2.11 0.76 0.68 1.77 3.10

1.52 1.43 0.82 2.73 1.58

3.18 2.80 4.29

6.36 6.97

20.74

19.36

14.19

32.17

25.30

0.79 6.19

6.26

21.89 8.52

1.33 7.26

1.43 0.81

10.01

3.16

2.47

51.30

12.87

35.33

26.54

0 20 40 60 MILES

0 20 40 60 KILOMETERS

104° 103° 102° 101° 100° 99° 98° 97°

45°

44°

43°

GAVINS POINT DAM

Rapid City

Pierre

Sioux Falls

MISSOURI

RIVER

46°

MONTANA WYOMING

NORTH DAKOTA

SOUTH DAKOTA

MINNESOTA

NEBRASKA

IOWA

EXPLANATION

Water use—Number indicates withdrawal

 in million gallons per day (Mgal/d)

Less than 1.001.00 to 2.002.01 to 5.00

5.01 to 10.0010.01 to 20.00Greater than 20.00

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 2005, 1:2,000,000Albers Equal-Area Conic projectionStandard parallels 29°30′N and 45°30′N, central meridian 96°00′W 

4 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005
Figure 2. Total water withdrawals from ground water and surface water in South Dakota by water-use category, 2005.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

WATER WITHDRAWAL, IN MILLION GALLONS PER DAY

100.49

7.67 4.41 4.69

10.48

47.71

33.17

291.73

Ground water

Surface water

WATER-USE CATEGORY

Public supply Domestic Industrial Thermoelectric Mining Livestock Aquaculture Irrigation

Estimated Use of Water 5
Figure 3. Total ground-water withdrawals in South Dakota by county, 2005.

HARDING

BUTTE

MEADE

LAWRENCE

PENNINGTON

CUSTER

FALL RIVER SHANNON

BENNETT

MELLETTE

TODD

JACKSON

HAAKON

ZIEBACH

DEWEY

STANLEY

JONES

LYMAN

TRIPP DOUGLAS

HUTCHINSON TURNER

BRULE AURORA

DAVISON HANSON MC COOK MINNEHAHA

MOODY LAKE MINER SANBORN

JERAULD BUFFALO

SULLY

HUGHES

HYDE

HAND

BEADLE

KINGSBURY BROOKINGS

LINCOLN

UNION CLAY

YANKTON BON HOMME

GREGORY

CHARLES MIX

PERKINS

CORSON

DEUEL

HAMLIN

CODINGTON

GRANT

CLARK

SPINK

FAULK POTTER

CAMPBELL

WALWORTH

MC PHERSON

EDMUNDS

BROWN

MARSHALL

DAY

ROBERTS 0.42

0.62

3.23

1.03

1.14

9.49 10.55

3.32

0.50

0.17

0.35

0.63 0.50

0.21

0.47

0.70 2.28 1.84

3.53

1.38

3.00

2.96

4.04

1.31

13.65 3.31

10.69

1.45

0.42 1.51 0.35 0.30 1.31 2.28

1.04 0.56 0.37 0.41 0.90

2.64

1.61 3.76

2.79 6.68 18.09

19.99

7.35

3.49

24.45

4.06

0.49 5.88

5.55

19.24 7.22

0.72 0.90

1.16 0.32

1.57

0.61

0.93

5.27

5.87

25.84

1.89

104° 103° 102° 101° 100° 99° 98° 97°

45°

44°

43°

GAVINS POINT DAM

Rapid City

Pierre

Sioux Falls

MISSOURI

RIVER

46°

MONTANA WYOMING

NORTH DAKOTA

SOUTH DAKOTA

MINNESOTA

NEBRASKA

IOWA

EXPLANATION

Water use—Number indicates withdrawal

 in million gallons per day (Mgal/d)

Less than 1.001.00 to 2.002.01 to 5.00

5.01 to 10.0010.01 to 20.00Greater than 20.00

0 20 40 60 MILES

0 20 40 60 KILOMETERS

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 2005, 1:2,000,000Albers Equal-Area Conic projectionStandard parallels 29°30′N and 45°30′N, central meridian 96°00′W 

6 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005
Figure 4. Ground-water withdrawals in South Dakota by water-use category, 2005. Photograph of drilling operations 

for a public-supply well in Rapid City by Larry D. Putnam. WATER WITHDRAWAL, IN MILLION GALLONS PER DAY

65.91

7.67

4.31

0.72

4.55

19.23 19.12

149.08

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

WATER-USE CATEGORY

Public supply Domestic Industrial Thermoelectric Mining Livestock Aquaculture Irrigation

Estimated Use of Water 7
Figure 5. Total surface-water withdrawals in South Dakota by county, 2005.

1.27

0.86

6.11

6.78

0.28

0.29 0.89

2.74

1.99

0.58

2.12

0.29 1.42

0.27

0.71

0.85 0.24 1.32

4.36

0.91

0.99

0.27

4.94

0.46

1.40 1.19

1.35

0.75

4.89 0.60 0.41 0.38 0.46 0.82

0.48 0.87 0.45 2.32 0.68

0.54

1.19 0.53

3.57 0.29 0.53

0.75

12.01

10.70

7.72

21.24

0.30 0.31

0.71

2.65 1.30

0.61 6.36

0.27 0.49

8.44

2.55

1.54

46.03

7.00

9.49

104°

24.65

103° 102° 101° 100° 99° 98° 97°

45°

44°

43°

GAVINS POINT DAM

Rapid City

Pierre

Sioux Falls

MISSOURI

RIVER

46°

MONTANA WYOMING

NORTH DAKOTA

SOUTH DAKOTA

MINNESOTA

NEBRASKA

IOWA

EXPLANATION

Water use—Number indicates withdrawal

 in million gallons per day (Mgal/d)

Less than 1.001.00 to 2.002.01 to 5.00

5.01 to 10.0010.01 to 20.00Greater than 20.00

0 20 40 60 MILES

0 20 40 60 KILOMETERS

HARDING

BUTTE

MEADE

LAWRENCE

PENNINGTON

CUSTER

FALL RIVER SHANNON

BENNETT

MELLETTE

TODD

JACKSON

HAAKON

ZIEBACH

DEWEY

STANLEY

JONES

LYMAN

TRIPP DOUGLAS

HUTCHINSON TURNER

BRULE AURORA DAVISONHANSON MC COOK MINNEHAHA

MOODY LAKE MINER SANBORN JERAULD BUFFALO

SULLY

HUGHES

HYDE HAND

BEADLE

KINGSBURY BROOKINGS

LINCOLN

UNION CLAY

YANKTON BON

HOMME

GREGORY

CHARLES MIX

PERKINS

CORSON

DEUEL

HAMLIN

CODINGTON

GRANT

CLARK

SPINK

FAULK POTTER

CAMPBELL

WALWORTH

MC PHERSON

EDMUNDS

BROWN

MARSHALL

DAY

ROBERTS

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 2005, 1:2,000,000Albers Equal-Area Conic projectionStandard parallels 29°30′N and 45°30′N, central meridian 96°00′W 

8 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005
Figure 6. Surface-water withdrawals in South Dakota by water-use category, 2005. Photograph of Oahe Dam 

courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

WATER-USE CATEGORY

WATER WITHDRAWAL, IN MILLION GALLONS PER DAY

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

34.58

0 0.1

3.97

5.93

28.48

14.05

142.65

Public supply Domestic Industrial Thermoelectric Mining Livestock Aquaculture Irrigation

Estimated Use of Water 9
10 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005

Public Supply

Walworth County that are exported to other counties. Very 

small or no per-capita uses occur for counties where most or 

all water for public supply is imported from other counties.

About 30 regional rural water systems are operating in 

South Dakota. Many of these regional rural water systems 

make withdrawals from one location and deliver the water 

over a large geographic area that may include several counties. Deliveries by public suppliers for domestic use totaled 

65.65 Mgal/d (table 3). This represents about 65 percent of 

total public supply withdrawals. No estimates were made for 

2005 of public-supply deliveries to commercial and industrial 

users.

The percentage of the population served by public 

supplies varied from less than 1 percent in Shannon County to 

100 percent in more than one-half of the South Dakota counties (table 3). Many of the counties that are served mostly by 

public supplies have large population centers, such as Sioux 

Falls in Minnehaha County, or areas with extensive rural water 

systems.

Public supply refers to water withdrawn by public and 

private water suppliers and delivered to multiple users primarily for domestic, commercial, and industrial uses. Public 

uses and losses are other components of total public watersupply withdrawals. Public supply includes public and private 

systems that furnish water to at least 25 people or have a 

minimum of 15 service connections.

Public-supply systems served about 666,210 people 

(table 2), or about 86 percent of South Dakota’s population in 

2005. Public-supply systems withdrew 100.49 Mgal/d in 2005. 

Ground-water withdrawals accounted for 65.91 Mgal/d, or 

66 percent, of the total withdrawals. Surface-water withdrawals accounted for 34.58 Mgal/d, or 34 percent of the total. 

Total public-supply withdrawals averaged about 151 gallons 

per day (gal/d) per capita. Individual county per-capita uses 

may not represent actual use of water in counties where water 

withdrawals are transferred to adjacent counties. For example, 

Walworth County had the largest per capita use, but this is 

because of large withdrawals from the Missouri River within 

Public supply systems served about 

666,210 people or about 86 percent of 

South Dakota’s population in 2005.

Photograph by Janet M. Carter. ▼

▲ Photograph by Kathleen M. Neitzert.
Table 2. Estimated population served and withdrawals for public supply by county in South Dakota, 2005.—Continued

County

Population served, in thousands Water withdrawals1, in million gallons per day Per capita use1

, 

in gallons per 

day

Source

Total

Source

Total

Ground water Surface water Ground water Surface water

Aurora 0.00 2.90 2.90 0.00 0.00 0.00 0

Beadle .56 15.34 15.90 .06 .00 .06 4

Bennett 1.05 .00 1.05 .23 .00 .23 219

Bon Homme .00 7.09 7.09 .00 .15 .15 21

Brookings 26.55 .00 26.55 3.93 .00 3.93 148

Brown 1.67 33.03 34.71 .73 3.44 4.17 120

Brule .00 5.19 5.19 .00 1.16 1.16 224

Buffalo .00 2.10 2.10 .00 .00 .00 0

Butte 7.83 .00 7.83 3.93 .00 3.93 502

Campbell .09 1.48 1.56 .09 .00 .09 58

Charles Mix .00 9.19 9.19 .00 3.40 3.40 370

Clark 3.80 .00 3.80 .84 .00 .84 221

Clay 12.80 .19 13.00 1.63 .00 1.63 125

Codington 16.78 8.11 24.88 4.12 .00 4.12 166

Corson 1.20 .00 1.20 .17 .00 .17 142

Custer 2.99 .00 2.99 .48 .00 .48 161

Davison .00 18.78 18.78 .00 .02 .02 1

Day 4.24 1.52 5.76 .24 .00 .24 42

Deuel 4.30 .00 4.30 .13 .00 .13 30

Dewey .44 3.92 4.36 .13 .00 .13 30

Douglas .00 2.60 2.60 .00 .00 .00 0

Edmunds .00 4.11 4.11 .01 .00 .01 2

Fall River 5.07 .00 5.07 1.32 .00 1.32 260

Faulk .05 2.34 2.39 .01 .00 .01 4

Grant 3.38 3.36 6.74 .05 .38 .43 64

Gregory 4.29 .00 4.29 .42 .00 .42 98

Haakon .36 1.55 1.91 .04 .02 .06 31

Hamlin 4.46 .00 4.46 .26 .00 .26 58

Hand .01 3.29 3.31 .00 .00 .00 0

Hanson .12 3.62 3.75 .00 .00 .00 0

Harding .39 .00 .39 .02 .00 .02 51

Hughes 14.05 1.65 15.70 2.97 4.08 7.05 449

Hutchinson .87 6.71 7.58 .05 .00 .05 7

Hyde .00 1.61 1.61 .00 .00 .00 0

Jackson .81 .95 1.76 .29 .00 .29 165

Estimated Use of Water 11
Table 2. Estimated population served and withdrawals for public supply by county in South Dakota, 2005.—Continued

County

Population served, in thousands Water withdrawals1, in million gallons per day Per capita use1

, 

in gallons per 

day

Source

Total

Source

Total

Ground water Surface water Ground water Surface water

Jerauld 0.06 2.08 2.14 0.00 0.16 0.16 75

Jones .08 .95 1.03 .01 .01 .02 19

Kingsbury 5.53 .00 5.53 1.64 .00 1.64 296

Lake 11.04 .00 11.04 .32 .00 .32 29

Lawrence 9.36 5.55 14.90 1.79 .54 2.33 156

Lincoln 28.27 .00 28.27 2.06 .00 2.06 73

Lyman .64 3.28 3.92 .06 .13 .19 48

McCook 2.89 3.04 5.93 .77 .00 .77 130

McPherson 1.04 1.57 2.62 .02 .00 .02 8

Marshall 4.33 .09 4.42 .97 .07 1.04 235

Meade 6.26 1.09 7.35 1.25 .00 1.25 170

Mellette .70 1.30 2.00 .04 .00 .04 20

Miner 2.54 .04 2.58 .02 .00 .02 8

Minnehaha 39.91 120.18 160.09 19.88 6.39 26.27 164

Moody 6.45 .00 6.45 1.28 .00 1.28 198

Pennington 67.10 1.70 68.80 8.11 .00 8.11 118

Perkins 1.57 .00 1.57 .12 .00 .12 76

Potter .08 2.28 2.35 .00 .00 .00 0

Roberts 7.76 .00 7.76 .56 .00 .56 72

Sanborn .82 1.53 2.36 .08 .00 .08 34

Shannon .10 .00 .10 .00 .00 .00 0

Spink .20 6.70 6.90 .23 .00 .23 33

Stanley 2.07 .00 2.07 .44 .00 .44 213

Sully .08 1.36 1.43 .00 .00 .00 0

Todd 1.68 .00 1.68 .11 .00 .11 65

Tripp 6.06 .00 6.06 1.64 .00 1.64 270

Turner 4.31 4.21 8.52 1.49 .00 1.49 175

Union 10.15 .00 10.15 .86 .00 .86 85

Walworth .22 5.27 5.49 .01 5.87 5.88 1,070

Yankton .39 21.32 21.72 .00 8.76 8.76 403

Ziebach .00 2.17 2.17 .00 .00 .00 0

Total 339.85 326.34 666.21 65.91 34.58 100.49 151

1

May include withdrawals by rural water systems that make deliveries to other counties.

12 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005
Table 3. Estimated public-supply domestic water deliveries and percentage of county population served by 

public supplies, by county in South Dakota, 2005.—Continued

County

Public-supplied 

population, 

in thousands

Total deliveries, 

in million gallons 

per day

Per capita use, 

in gallons 

per day

Percentage of 

population served by 

public supplies

Aurora 2.90 0.36 124 100.0

Beadle 15.90 1.12 70 100.0

Bennett 1.05 .15 143 29.2

Bon Homme 7.09 1.49 210 100.0

Brookings 26.55 1.45 55 94.4

Brown 34.71 3.77 109 100.0

Brule 5.19 .60 116 100.0

Buffalo 2.10 .12 57 100.0

Butte 7.83 .89 114 83.9

Campbell 1.57 .36 230 100.0

Charles Mix 9.19 .97 106 100.0

Clark 3.80 .29 76 100.0

Clay 13.00 1.03 79 100.0

Codington 24.88 2.45 98 95.7

Corson 1.20 .13 109 27.5

Custer 2.99 .20 67 37.8

Davison 18.78 1.65 88 100.0

Day 5.76 1.42 247 100.0

Deuel 4.30 .46 107 100.0

Dewey 4.36 .39 89 70.8

Douglas 2.60 .22 85 78.5

Edmunds 4.11 .48 117 100.0

Fall River 5.07 1.22 241 68.9

Faulk 2.39 .33 138 100.0

Grant 6.74 .47 70 91.3

Gregory 4.29 .65 152 100.0

Haakon 1.91 .48 251 100.0

Hamlin 4.46 .44 99 78.1

Hand 3.31 .54 163 100.0

Hanson 3.75 .45 120 100.0

Harding .39 .02 51 32.0

Hughes 15.70 1.87 119 93.0

Hutchinson 7.58 1.32 174 100.0

Estimated Use of Water 13
Table 3. Estimated public-supply domestic water deliveries and percentage of county population served by 

public supplies, by county in South Dakota, 2005.—Continued

County

Public-supplied 

population, 

in thousands

Total deliveries, 

in million gallons 

per day

Per capita use, 

in gallons 

per day

Percentage of 

population served by 

public supplies

Hyde 1.61 0.24 149 100.0

Jackson 1.76 .22 125 61.5

Jerauld 2.14 .30 140 100.0

Jones 1.03 .11 106 100.0

Kingsbury 5.53 .71 128 100.0

Lake 11.04 1.08 98 100.0

Lawrence 14.90 1.58 106 66.5

Lincoln 28.27 1.55 55 84.7

Lyman 3.92 .40 102 100.0

McCook 5.93 .48 81 100.0

McPherson 2.62 .45 172 100.0

Marshall 4.42 .16 36 100.0

Meade 7.35 .86 117 29.9

Mellette 2.00 .14 70 95.7

Miner 2.58 .22 85 100.0

Minnehaha 160.09 14.38 90 100.0

Moody 6.45 .50 78 97.1

Pennington 68.80 6.84 99 73.5

Perkins 1.57 .09 57 52.0

Potter 2.35 .41 174 100.0

Roberts 7.76 .72 93 77.3

Sanborn 2.36 .19 81 92.9

Shannon .10 .00 0 .7

Spink 6.90 .95 138 100.0

Stanley 2.07 .16 77 73.1

Sully 1.43 .18 126 100.0

Todd 1.68 .12 71 17.0

Tripp 6.07 .41 68 100.0

Turner 8.52 1.17 137 100.0

Union 10.15 .53 52 75.4

Walworth 5.49 .64 116 100.0

Yankton 21.72 1.91 88 100.0

Ziebach 2.17 .16 74 82.5

Total 666.21 65.65 199 85.9

1

Average computed by dividing total deliveries by total population.

14 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005
Estimated Use of Water 15

Domestic

Domestic water use includes water for household 

purposes, such as drinking, food preparation, bathing, washing 

clothes and dishes, flushing toilets, car washing, and watering 

lawns and gardens. Domestic water users obtain water either 

from public suppliers or private wells (self-supplied).

Domestic water use in South Dakota during 2005 was 

73.32 Mgal/d. Of this total, 65.65 Mgal/d was delivered from 

public-supply systems and served about 666,210 people 

(table 3). Per-capita domestic use was 99 gal/d for publicsupplied users. Self-supplied withdrawals were 7.67 Mgal/d, 

all of which was from ground water (table 4). The selfsupplied domestic population during 2005 was about 109,750, 

and per capita use was 70 gal/d. Pennington County had 

the largest self-supplied population (nearly 25,000 people), 

followed by Meade County (about 17,000 people). Together, 

these two counties accounted for about 38 percent of the total 

self-supplied domestic withdrawals in South Dakota.

Less than one-half of the counties in South Dakota (28 

out of 66 counties) have a self-supplied population for domestic water use (table 4). Counties where more than 70 percent 

of the population is self-supplied for domestic use (Bennett, 

Corson, Meade, Shannon, and Todd Counties) are in rural 

areas that do not have extensive rural water systems.

Domestic water use includes water for 

household purposes, such as washing 

clothes (photograph by Janet M. Carter). 

About 109,750 people in South Dakota 

obtained household water from private 

wells in 2005, and per capita use was about 

70 gallons per day.
Table 4. Estimated self-supplied domestic water withdrawals for counties with this use in South Dakota, 2005.

County

Self-supplied 

population, 

in thousands

Self-supplied water withdrawals, 

in million gallons per day Per capita use, 

in gallons 

per day

Percentage of 

population that is 

self-supplied Source

Total

Ground water Surface water

Bennett 2.54 0.18 0.00 0.18 71 70.8

Brookings 1.57 .11 .00 .11 70 5.6

Butte 1.50 .10 .00 .10 67 16.1

Codington 1.13 .08 .00 .08 71 4.3

Corson 3.17 .22 .00 .22 69 72.5

Custer 4.91 .34 .00 .34 69 62.2

Dewey 1.80 .13 .00 .13 72 29.2

Douglas .71 .05 .00 .05 70 21.5

Fall River 2.28 .16 .00 .16 70 31.0

Grant .64 .04 .00 .04 62 8.7

Hamlin 1.24 .09 .00 .09 72 21.7

Harding .83 .06 .00 .06 73 68.0

Hughes 1.17 .08 .00 .08 68 6.9

Jackson 1.10 .08 .00 .08 73 38.5

Lawrence 7.49 .52 .00 .52 69 33.4

Lincoln 5.11 .36 .00 .36 70 15.3

Meade 17.27 1.21 .00 1.21 70 70.1

Mellette .09 .01 .00 .01 116 4.3

Moody .19 .01 .00 .01 53 2.9

Pennington 24.78 1.74 .00 1.74 70 26.5

Perkins 1.45 .10 .00 .10 69 48.0

Roberts 2.29 .16 .00 .16 70 22.8

Sanborn .19 .01 .00 .01 54 7.5

Shannon 13.56 .95 .00 .95 70 99.3

Stanley .76 .05 .00 .05 66 26.9

Todd 8.20 .57 .00 .57 70 83.0

Union 3.32 .23 .00 .23 69 24.7

Ziebach .46 .03 .00 .03 65 17.5

Total 109.75 7.67 0.00 7.67 70 14.1

16 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005
Estimated Use of Water 17

Industrial

Industrial water use includes water used for such 

purposes as fabrication, processing, washing, and cooling in 

facilities that manufacture products. Self-supplied industrial 

water use during 2005 was 4.41 Mgal/d (table 5), of which 

about 98 percent was from ground water (4.31 Mgal/d) and 

about 2 percent (0.10 Mgal/d) was from surface water. Selfsupplied industrial withdrawals occurred in only 12 of the 

66 counties in South Dakota in 2005. The largest industrial 

water use was in Minnehaha County. The only surface-water 

use was in Lawrence County. Public-supply deliveries to 

industrial users were not tracked in 2005.

Industrial water use includes water used in 

the production of ethanol, and many ethanol 

plants recently have been built in South Dakota 

(photograph by Kathleen M. Neitzert). Almost all 

of the self-supplied industrial water use during 

2005 was from ground water.

Table 5. Estimated self-supplied industrial water withdrawals for counties with this use in South Dakota, 2005.

County

Self-supplied water withdrawals, in million 

gallons per day

Source

Ground Total

water

Surface 

water

Beadle 0.02 0.00 0.02

Brookings .92 .00 .92

Brown .38 .00 .38

Codington .06 .00 .06

Grant .02 .00 .02

Harding .03 .00 .03

Lake .01 .00 .01

Lawrence .80 .10 .90

Lincoln .32 .00 .32

Minnehaha 1.60 .00 1.60

Pennington .13 .00 .13

Yankton .02 .00 .02

Total 4.31 0.10 4.41
18 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005

Thermoelectric Power

Table 6. Estimated total thermoelectric power water use 

for counties with this use in South Dakota, 2005.

County

Self-supplied water withdrawals, 

in million gallons per day

Source

Ground Total

water

Surface 

water

Edmunds 0.11 0.00 0.11

Grant .00 3.89 3.89

Haakon .16 .00 .16

Minnehaha .05 .08 .13

Pennington .38 .00 .38

Stanley .02 .00 .02

Total 0.72 3.97 4.69

Table 7. Estimated fossil-fuel thermoelectric power water 

use for counties with this use in South Dakota, 2005.

County

Self-supplied water withdrawals, 

in million gallons per day

Source

Ground Total

water

Surface 

water

Grant 0.00 3.89 3.89

Minnehaha .00 .08 .08

Pennington .38 .00 .38

Total 0.38 3.89 4.35

Table 8. Estimated geothermal thermoelectric power water 

use for counties with this use in South Dakota, 2005.

County

Self-supplied water withdrawals, 

in million gallons per day

Source

Ground Total

water

Surface 

water

Edmunds 0.11 0.00 0.11

Haakon .16 .00 .16

Minnehaha .05 .00 .05

Stanley .02 .00 .02

Total 0.34 0.00 0.34

Thermoelectric power water use includes water used in 

the production of electric power generated with fossil-fuel, 

geothermal, or nuclear energy. Thermoelectric withdrawals 

occurred in only 6 of 66 counties in South Dakota in 2005. 

Withdrawals for thermoelectric use during 2005 totaled 

4.69 Mgal/d, of which 0.72 Mgal/d was from ground water 

and 3.97 Mgal/d was from surface water (table 6). The 

largest use for thermoelectric power was in Grant County. 

Total water withdrawn for thermoelectric power generation 

by powerplants using fossil fuel was 4.35 Mgal/d, of which 

about 0.38 Mgal/d was from ground water and 3.89 Mgal/d 

was from surface water (table 7). All fossil fuel thermoelectric plants in South Dakota use recirculating, or closed-loop, 

cooling systems. The withdrawal of geothermal water totaled 

0.34 Mgal/d during 2005 (table 8). Most of the geothermal water was from wells that are used for heating and are 

completed in the Madison aquifer (Amundson, 2000). South 

Dakota does not have any operating nuclear powerplants.

Total water withdrawn in South Dakota for thermoelectric 

power generation by powerplants using fossil fuel was 

about 4 million gallons per day in 2005 (photograph by 

Janet M. Carter).
Table 9. Estimated self-supplied mining water withdrawals for counties with this use in South Dakota, 2005.

County

Self-supplied water withdrawals, 

in million gallons per day

Source

Total

Ground water Surface water

Jerauld .09 .11 .20

Kingsbury .03 .00 .03

Lake .00 .07 .07

Lawrence .39 1.29 1.68

Marshall .00 .19 .19

McPherson .02 .54 .56

Meade .00 .01 .01

Miner .04 .06 .10

Minnehaha 1.50 .00 1.50

Moody .02 .00 .02

Pennington .15 1.24 1.39

Potter .03 .05 .08

Roberts .02 .02 .04

Shannon .03 .05 .08

Stanley .02 .03 .05

Sully .07 .00 .07

Turner .05 .06 .11

Union .18 .23 .41

Yankton .08 .00 .08

Total 4.55 5.93 10.48

County

Self-supplied water withdrawals, 

in million gallons per day

Source

Total

Ground water Surface water

Bon Homme 0.02 0.03 0.05

Brookings .58 .77 1.35

Brown .08 .00 .08

Brule .07 .10 .17

Butte .15 .20 .35

Campbell .05 .00 .05

Charles Mix .04 .06 .10

Clark .02 .03 .05

Codington .15 .38 .53

Custer .00 .07 .07

Davison .16 .00 .16

Day .10 .00 .10

Douglas .01 .01 .02

Fall River .03 .05 .08

Grant .07 .10 .17

Gregory .00 .01 .01

Hamlin .01 .01 .02

Hanson .17 .00 .17

Harding .02 .03 .05

Hughes .10 .13 .23

Water withdrawals for mining occurred in 39 counties in 

South Dakota in 2005. The largest mining use occurred in 

Lawrence, Minnehaha, Pennington, and Brookings Counties 

(photograph by Mark A. Keenihan, South Dakota Department 

of Environment and Natural Resources).

Estimated Use of Water 19

Mining

Mining water use is water used for the extraction of naturally occurring minerals, including solids (such as coal, clay, 

and ores), liquids (such as crude petroleum), and gases (such 

as natural gas). This category also includes water uses associated with sand, gravel, and quarrying for rock aggregates, 

well operations (dewatering), milling (crushing, screening, 

washing, flotation, and others), and other preparations customarily done at the mine site or as part of a mining activity.

Total mining water use during 2005 was 10.48 Mgal/d 

(table 9). Of this total, 4.55 Mgal/d was from ground water 

(about 43 percent) and 5.93 Mgal/d was from surface water 

(about 57 percent). Mining withdrawals occurred in 39 counties in South Dakota in 2005. The largest mining use occurred 

in Lawrence, Minnehaha, Pennington, and Brookings Counties.
Livestock water use in South Dakota 

occurred in every county in 2005. Cattle are 

the predominant livestock raised in South 

Dakota, and windmills that supply power 

to stock wells are common features on the 

landscape.

▲ Photograph by Kathleen M. Neitzert. Photograph by Hopa Yellow Horse. ▼

20 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005

Livestock

Livestock water use includes water used in the production of meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and wool. It does not include 

rural-domestic water use, irrigation water use, or other farm 

needs such as lawn and garden watering. Livestock data from 

the South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service and U.S. 

Census of Agriculture for 2002 and water-use coefficients 

for various animals were used to estimate the livestock water 

use during 2005. The following coefficients (in gallons per 

day) from U.S. Department of Agriculture (2004) were used: 

10 for beef cows, 20 for milk cows, 8 for calves, 6 for breed 

hogs and pigs, 4 for feed hogs and pigs, 2 for sheep, 12 for 

horses, 0.09 for lay hens, 0.07 for other chicks, and 0.15 for 

turkeys. Livestock water use occurred in every county in South 

Dakota in 2005 and totaled 47.71 Mgal/d (table 10). Of this 

total, 19.23 Mgal/d was from ground water (about 40 percent) 

and 28.48 Mgal/d was from surface water (about 60 percent). 

Total livestock during 2002 included 3,710,629 cattle, 

1,375,506 hogs and pigs, 2,226,368 poultry, 69,568 horses, 

and 376,468 sheep (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2004).
Estimated Use of Water 21

Table 10. Estimated livestock water use by county in South Dakota, 2005.

County

Water withdrawals, in million gallons per day

Source

Total

Ground water Surface water

Aurora 0.35 0.45 0.80

Beadle .56 .83 1.39

Bennett .19 .28 .47

Bon Homme .29 .42 .71

Brookings .39 .59 .98

Brown .49 .74 1.23

Brule .34 .61 .95

Buffalo .09 .14 .23

Butte .32 .49 .81

Campbell .16 .24 .40

Charles Mix .56 .84 1.40

Clark .41 .60 1.01

Clay .10 .15 .25

Codington .30 .44 .74

Corson .31 .46 .77

Custer .12 .19 .31

Davison .23 .34 .57

Day .20 .31 .51

Deuel .31 .46 .77

Dewey .21 .51 .72

Douglas .35 .53 .88

Edmunds .39 .61 1.00

Fall River .25 .38 .63

Faulk .31 .47 .78

Grant .28 .43 .71

Gregory .38 .57 .95

Haakon .30 .45 .75

Hamlin .19 .30 .49

Hand .47 .71 1.18

Hanson .26 .40 .66

Harding .29 .43 .72

Hughes .12 .18 .30

Hutchinson .51 .78 1.29

Hyde .20 .30 .50

County

Water withdrawals, in million gallons per day

Source

Total

Ground water Surface water

Jackson 0.24 0.35 0.59

Jerauld .22 .33 .55

Jones .16 .25 .41

Kingsbury .33 .48 .81

Lake .24 .37 .61

Lawrence .06 .09 .15

Lincoln .21 .31 .52

Lyman .26 .40 .66

McCook .27 .41 .68

McPherson .40 .61 1.01

Marshall .40 .62 1.02

Meade .52 .77 1.29

Mellette .39 .60 .99

Miner .22 .32 .54

Minnehaha .40 .60 1.00

Moody .27 .35 .62

Pennington .26 .39 .65

Perkins .40 .50 .90

Potter .14 .22 .36

Roberts .49 .24 .73

Sanborn .26 .40 .66

Shannon .16 .23 .39

Spink .42 .61 1.03

Stanley .10 .15 .25

Sully .10 .16 .26

Todd .26 .40 .66

Tripp .67 .99 1.66

Turner .37 .54 .91

Union .17 .25 .42

Walworth .18 .27 .45

Yankton .25 .37 .62

Ziebach .18 .27 .45

Total 19.23 28.48 47.71
22 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005

Aquaculture

Aquaculture water use includes water used for fish 

farming and fish hatcheries. Aquaculture withdrawals 

occurred in nine counties in South Dakota in 2005 and totaled 

33.17 Mgal/d (table 11). Of this total, 19.12 Mgal/d (or about 

58 percent) was from ground water and 14.05 Mgal/d (or 

about 42 percent) was from surface water. The largest aquaculture use was in Pennington County, which accounted for 

53 percent of the statewide aquaculture use.

Table 11. Estimated aquaculture water use for counties 

with this use in South Dakota, 2005.

County

Water withdrawals, 

in million gallons per day

Source

Ground Total

water

Surface 

water

Brookings 0.01 0.01 0.02

Clark .63 .00 .63

Custer .00 2.88 2.88

Day 2.12 .63 2.75

Kingsbury .00 .71 .71

Lawrence .00 4.64 4.64

Marshall .00 .03 .03

Pennington 14.74 2.92 17.66

Yankton 1.62 2.23 3.85

Total 19.12 14.05 33.17

Aquaculture water use includes water used for fish farming 

and fish hatcheries, such as for fish raised at the McNenny 

State Fish Hatchery near Spearfish, South Dakota (photograph 

by Michael T. Carter).
Estimated Use of Water 23

Irrigation

Irrigation water use includes all water artificially applied 

to farms, orchards, pastures, and golf courses to grow crops or 

maintain vegetative growth. Because irrigation is the largest 

offstream use of water in South Dakota, the quantity of water 

used by the holder of an irrigation permit is reported annually 

to the SDDENR (http://www.state.sd.us/denr/des/waterrights/

waterprg.htm). The irrigation data provided in this report are 

based on the 2005 SDDENR irrigation questionnaires.

Irrigation withdrawals during 2005 totaled 291.73 Mgal/d 

(table 12). Of the total withdrawals for irrigation, 

149.08 Mgal/d (51 percent) was from ground-water sources 

and 142.65 Mgal/d (49 percent) was from surface-water 

sources. An estimated 421,830 acres was irrigated during 

2005. Of the total acres irrigated, 298,160 acres (about 

71 percent) was irrigated by sprinkler application and 

123,670 acres (29 percent) was irrigated by surface (or flood) 

application.

Irrigation is the largest offstream use of water in South Dakota. Irrigation withdrawals 

during 2005 totaled about 292 million gallons per day (photograph by Kathleen M. Neitzert).
24 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005

Table 12. Estimated irrigation withdrawals and acreage irrigated by county in South Dakota, 2005.—Continued

County

Water withdrawals, in million gallons per day Irrigated land, in thousand acres

Source

Total Application method Total

Ground water Surface water Sprinkler Surface

Aurora 0.02 0.00 0.02 0.03 0.00 0.03

Beadle 10.05 .52 10.57 16.28 .63 16.91

Bennett 8.89 .01 8.90 6.62 .99 7.61

Bon Homme 2.48 2.97 5.45 7.16 .45 7.61

Brookings 7.71 .03 7.74 14.82 1.18 16.00

Brown 1.85 .18 2.03 4.50 .15 4.65

Brule .00 .45 .45 1.59 .17 1.76

Buffalo .33 4.75 5.08 3.27 .49 3.76

Butte .77 45.34 46.11 22.03 91.64 113.67

Campbell 1.98 .00 1.98 2.68 .26 2.94

Charles Mix 2.89 6.40 9.29 9.23 .78 10.01

Clark 3.65 .08 3.73 6.94 .18 7.12

Clay 4.95 .14 5.09 11.48 .38 11.86

Codington 2.51 .48 2.99 4.80 .39 5.19

Corson .00 .39 .39 .72 .05 .77

Custer .09 3.64 3.73 1.39 .80 2.19

Davison .51 .32 .83 1.01 .01 1.02

Day .34 .05 .39 1.54 .02 1.56

Deuel .87 .00 .87 1.62 .03 1.65

Dewey .00 .20 .20 .21 .04 .25

Douglas 2.23 .00 2.23 1.79 .08 1.87

Edmunds .21 .00 .21 .69 .00 .69

Fall River .13 24.22 24.35 5.03 9.04 14.07

Faulk .00 .02 .02 .02 .00 .02

Grant 3.58 .14 3.72 4.95 .20 5.15

Gregory .13 .96 1.09 1.31 .10 1.41

Haakon .00 .95 .95 .74 .30 1.04

Hamlin 5.33 .00 5.33 8.60 .55 9.15

Hand .98 .04 1.02 1.69 .06 1.75

Hanson .13 .47 .60 .92 .00 .92

Harding .00 .81 .81 .57 .28 .85

Hughes .79 16.85 17.64 10.80 .82 11.62

Hutchinson 1.05 .41 1.46 3.11 .05 3.16

Hyde .29 .00 .29 .27 .00 .27
Estimated Use of Water 25

Table 12. Estimated irrigation withdrawals and acreage irrigated by county in South Dakota, 2005.—Continued

County

Water withdrawals, in million gallons per day Irrigated land, in thousand acres

Source

Total Application method Total

Ground water Surface water Sprinkler Surface

Jackson 0.00 2.20 2.20 0.57 0.57 1.14

Jerauld 1.20 .00 1.20 1.32 .07 1.39

Jones .00 .32 .32 .14 .11 .25

Kingsbury 1.31 .00 1.31 1.69 .03 1.72

Lake .74 .02 .76 1.65 .06 1.71

Lawrence 2.31 .34 2.65 .85 .83 1.68

Lincoln .81 .22 1.03 1.60 .06 1.66

Lyman .03 1.59 1.62 1.93 .17 2.10

McCook .00 .07 .07 .03 .00 .03

McPherson 1.40 .17 1.57 1.65 .05 1.70

Marshall .01 .00 .01 .00 .00 .00

Meade .25 5.33 5.58 1.54 1.29 2.83

Mellette .06 1.39 1.45 .37 .23 .60

Miner .02 .00 .02 .07 .00 .07

Minnehaha 1.02 .65 1.67 2.12 .12 2.24

Moody .70 .47 1.17 2.76 .19 2.95

Pennington .33 4.94 5.27 2.45 2.35 4.80

Perkins .00 .36 .36 .28 .07 .35

Potter .99 .00 .99 1.19 .09 1.28

Roberts 1.73 .01 1.74 2.36 .07 2.43

Sanborn .00 .01 .01 .01 .00 .01

Shannon .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00

Spink 18.59 2.04 20.63 29.09 .66 29.75

Stanley .00 .11 .11 .08 .00 .08

Sully 1.40 8.28 9.68 13.02 2.67 15.69

Todd 9.61 .49 10.10 10.11 1.13 11.24

Tripp 1.01 1.75 2.76 2.59 .41 3.00

Turner 18.08 .15 18.23 18.50 .52 19.02

Union 16.65 .05 16.70 30.25 1.33 31.58

Walworth .71 .22 .93 1.14 .10 1.24

Yankton 5.38 .65 6.03 10.39 .37 10.76

Ziebach .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00

Total 149.08 142.65 291.73 298.16 123.67 421.83
26 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005

Instream Use

The only instream use reported for South Dakota is for 

hydroelectric power generation. Instream use occurred in four 

counties in South Dakota during 2005—Buffalo, Charles Mix, 

Hughes, and Yankton (table 13).

Water used for hydroelectric power generation refers to 

the water used in the generation of electricity at plants where 

turbine generators are driven by falling water. Water use for 

hydroelectric power generation is substantial in South Dakota 

because of the four hydroelectric powerplants operated by the 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Missouri River in South 

Dakota. During 2005, about 68,400 Mgal/d was used by the 

hydroelectric powerplants to generate about 3,688 gigawatthours of electricity (table 13).

Table 13. Estimated hydroelectric power water use for counties 

with this use in South Dakota, 2005.

County

Instream water use Power 

generated, 

in gigawatthours1

Million 

gallons 

per day

Thousand 

acre-feet 

per year

Buffalo 17,906.00 20,054.72 606.17

Charles Mix 19,820.00 22,198.40 1,133.79

Hughes 19,470.00 21,806.40 1,356.85

Yankton2 11,246.00 12,595.52 591.12

Total 68,442.00 76,655.04 3,687.93

1

Data from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (http://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.

mil/rcc/) 

2

Values presented reflect exactly one-half of the water-use and powergeneration data for Gavins Point Dam. The other one-half is reported by 

Nebraska.

The only instream use 

reported for South Dakota 

is for hydroelectric power 

generation. In South Dakota, 

four hydroelectric powerplants 

are operated by the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers on the 

Missouri River, including Fort 

Randall Dam near Pickstown, 

South Dakota (photograph 

courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers).
0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

YEAR

WATER USE, IN MILLION GALLONS PER DAY

640,000

660,000

680,000

700,000

720,000

740,000

760,000

780,000

800,000

TOTAL POPULATION

Total water use

Total ground-water use 

Total surface-water use

Total State population

EXPLANATION

Figure 7. Changes in water use and total State population in South Dakota, 1985–2005.

Changes in Water Use, 1985–2005 27

Changes in Water Use, 1985–2005

Total water use in South Dakota was about 175 Mgal/d 

less in 2005 than in 1985 despite an increase in the State’s 

population of about 70,000 people (fig. 7). Total groundwater use increased slightly (about 21 Mgal/d) between 1985 

and 2005, whereas surface-water use decreased by about 

195 Mgal/d. The decreases in both total use and surface-water 

use are mostly attributable to decreases in irrigation water use 

(fig. 8), which is the largest water use in South Dakota. Total 

irrigation water use decreased by about 168 Mgal/d between 

1985 and 2005, and surface-water irrigation use decreased by 

about 204 Mgal/d. Ground-water irrigation use increased by 

about 36 Mgal/d between 1985 and 2005. The smallest irrigation water use occurred in 1995, when the number of irrigated 

acres also was smallest.

Water use for public supply increased about 20 Mgal/d 

between 1985 and 2005, and the population served by public 

suppliers increased by about 118,000 people (fig. 9). Although 

ground-water withdrawals for public supply remained fairly 

constant between 1985 and 2005, surface-water withdrawals 

more than doubled during this 20-year period. In contrast, 

the number of people relying on self-supplied domestic wells 

decreased by about 48,000 between 1985 and 2005 (fig. 10), 

with most of the decrease occurring between 1985 and 1990. 

All self-supplied domestic water use in 2005 was supplied 

by ground water. Total self-supplied domestic use decreased 

about 8 Mgal/d between 1985 and 2005. The increase in use 

from public supply and the decrease in use from self-supplied 

domestic supplies can be attributed to growth in cities and 

increased water availability through rural water systems.
Figure 8. Changes in irrigation water use and acres irrigated in South Dakota, 1985–2005.

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

YEAR

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

450,000

500,000

Total irrigation use

Irrigation use from 

 ground water

Irrigation use from 

 surface water

Acres irrigated

WATER USE, IN MILLION GALLONS PER DAY

NUMBER OF ACRES IRRIGATED

EXPLANATION

Figure 9. Changes in water use for public supply and population served in South Dakota, 1985–2005.

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

YEAR

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

WATER USE, IN MILLION GALLONS PER DAY

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

POPULATION SERVED

Total public-supply 

 use

Public-supply use 

 from ground water

Public-supply use 

 from surface water

Population served

EXPLANATION

28 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005
Figure 10. Changes in self-supplied domestic water use and self-supplied population in South Dakota, 1985–2005.

EXPLANATION

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

YEAR

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

WATER USE, IN MILLION GALLONS PER DAY

POPULATION SERVED

Total self-supplied domestic water use

Population served

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

Summary 29

Summary

The water-use program in South Dakota is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the South 

Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 

Water Rights Division. This report on estimated water use in 

South Dakota during 2005 was prepared in cooperation with 

the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and the South 

Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

During 2005, total withdrawals from ground-water and 

surface-water sources in South Dakota for the eight categories of offstream use were about 500 million gallons per 

day (Mgal/d). Of total withdrawals, about 271 Mgal/d was 

from ground water and about 230 Mgal/d was from surface 

water. The largest withdrawals occurred in Butte, Pennington, 

Minnehaha, Fall River, Hughes, Spink, and Turner Counties. The largest use of water in South Dakota is irrigation, 

which accounts for about 58 percent of the total water withdrawn, followed by public supply, which accounts for about 

20 percent of withdrawals. 

Public-supply systems served about 666,210 people, 

or about 86 percent of South Dakota’s population in 2005. 

Public-supply systems withdrew about 100 Mgal/d in 

2005. Ground-water withdrawals accounted for about 

66 Mgal/d, and surface-water withdrawals accounted for 

about 35 Mgal/d. Overall total public-supply withdrawals 

averaged about 151 gallons per day (gal/d) for each person 

served. The percentage of the population served by public 

supplies varied from less than 1 percent in Shannon County to 

100 percent in more than one-half of the South Dakota counties. 

Domestic water use during 2005 was about 73 Mgal/d. Of 

this total, about 66 Mgal/d was delivered from public-supply 

systems to 666,210 people. The average domestic per-capita 

use by people using public supplies was 99 gallons per day. 

Self-supplied domestic withdrawals were about 8 Mgal/d, all 

of which was from ground water. The population using private 

wells during 2005 was about 109,750, and their per-capita use 

averaged 70 gal/d. Pennington County had the largest population using self-supplied domestic water (about 25,000 people), 

followed by Meade County (about 17,000 people). Together, 

these two counties accounted for about 38 percent of the total 

self-supplied withdrawals in South Dakota. Less than one-half 

of the counties in South Dakota (28 out of 66 counties) have 

a self-supplied population for domestic water use. Counties 

where more than 70 percent of the population is self-supplied 

for domestic use (Bennett, Corson, Meade, Shannon, and Todd 

Counties) are in rural areas that do not have extensive rural 

water systems.

Industrial water use during 2005 for self supply was 

about 4 Mgal/d, of which about 98 percent was from ground 

water and about 2 percent was from surface water. The largest 

industrial water use occurred in Minnehaha County. 
30 Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005

Withdrawals for thermoelectric use during 2005 totaled 

about 5 Mgal/d, of which about 1 Mgal/d was from ground 

water and about 4 Mgal/d from surface water. Total water 

withdrawn for thermoelectric power generation by powerplants using fossil fuel was about 4 Mgal/d. The withdrawal of 

geothermal water totaled 0.34 Mgal/d during 2005. The largest 

use for thermoelectric power was in Grant County.

Total mining water use during 2005 was about 10 Mgal/d. 

Of this total, about 5 Mgal/d was from ground water and about 

6 Mgal/d was from surface water. The largest mining use 

occurred in Lawrence, Minnehaha, Pennington, and Brookings 

Counties.

Total livestock water use during 2005 was about 

48 Mgal/d. Of this total, about 19 Mgal/d was from ground 

water and about 28 Mgal/d was from surface water. 

Total aquaculture use in 2005 was about 33 Mgal/d. Of 

this total, about 19 Mgal/d was from ground water and about 

14 Mgal/d was from surface water. The largest aquaculture use 

occurred in Pennington County.

Irrigation withdrawals during 2005 totaled about 

292 Mgal/d, of which about 149 Mgal/d was from groundwater sources and about 143 Mgal/d was from surface-water 

sources. An estimated 421,830 acres was irrigated during 

2005. Of the total acres irrigated, 298,160 acres was irrigated 

by sprinkler application and 123,670 acres was irrigated by 

surface (or flood) application.

The only instream use reported for South Dakota is for 

hydroelectric power generation. Water use for hydroelectric 

power generation is substantial in South Dakota because of 

the four hydroelectric powerplants operated by the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers on the Missouri River in South Dakota. 

During 2005, about 68,400 Mgal/d was used by the hydroelectric powerplants to generate about 3,688 gigawatt-hours of 

electricity.

Total water use in South Dakota decreased about 

175 Mgal/d between 1985 and 2005 despite an increase in 

the State’s population of about 70,000 people. Total groundwater use increased slightly (about 21 Mgal/d) between 1985 

and 2005, whereas surface-water use decreased by about 

195 Mgal/d. The decreases in both total use and surface-water 

use are mostly attributable to decreases in irrigation water 

use. Total irrigation water use decreased by about 168 Mgal/d 

between 1985 and 2005, and surface-water irrigation use 

decreased by about 204 Mgal/d. Ground-water irrigation use 

increased by about 36 Mgal/d between 1985 and 2005. 

Water use for public supply increased about 20 Mgal/d 

between 1985 and 2005, and the population served by public 

supplies increased by about 118,000 people. In contrast, the 

number of people relying on self-supplied domestic wells 

decreased by about 48,000; all self-supplied domestic water 

use in 2005 was from ground water. Total self-supplied domestic use decreased about 8 Mgal/d between 1985 and 2005.

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SDVolume104.pdf
Publishing support provided by:

Helena Publishing Service Center

For more information concerning this publication, contact:

Director, USGS South Dakota Water Science Center

1608 Mt. View Rd.

Rapid City, SD 57702

(605) 394–3200

Or visit the South Dakota Water Science Center Web site at:

http://sd.water.usgs.gov
Carter and Neitzert—Estimated Use of Water in South Dakota, 2005—Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5216

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