Unified Interior Regions
South Dakota
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Surface water and groundwater provide important water supplies in South Dakota. Major rivers include the Big Sioux, James, Cheyenne, and Missouri Rivers. Key aquifers include the Dakota, Madison, Minnelusa, and Big Sioux aquifers. The Dakota Water Science Center has many studies that focus on these resources as well various other national and international studies.
Link to Science CenterNews
Landsat, EROS Factor Heavily in New National Policy Plan for Earth Observation
The Landsat program and the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center have long held and important place in the nation’s Earth observation (EO) policy.
Meet the USGS Landsat Project Scientist and Landsat Science Team Co-Chair
Christopher “Chris” Crawford likes to say his roles with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as a research physical scientist, the Landsat Project Scientist, and co-chair of the Landsat Science Team are akin to staring down a foot of snow on the driveway.
USGS EROS Launches ‘Eyes on Earth’ podcast
Satellite data is everywhere. It’s in the swirling clouds of the nightly news weather forecasts and the land surface maps beneath them. It’s in our pockets, showing up as base layers in smartphone mapping applications.
Publications
Conceptual model to assess water use associated with the life cycle of unconventional oil and gas development
As the demand for energy increases in the United States, so does the demand for water used to produce many forms of that energy. Technological advances, limited access to conventional oil and gas accumulations, and the rise of oil and gas prices resulted in increased development of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) accumulations. Unconventional oil...
Valder, Joshua F.; McShane, Ryan R.; Barnhart, Theodore B.; Sando, Roy; Carter, Janet M.; Lundgren, Robert F.
Digital map of aquifer boundary for the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming
This digital data set represents the extent of the High Plains aquifer in the central United States. The extent of the High Plains aquifer covers 174,000 square miles in eight states: Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This data set represents a compilation of information from digital and paper...
Qi, Sharon
Estimated use of water in South Dakota, 2005
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...
Carter, Janet M.; Neitzert, Kathleen M.
Eyes on Earth Episode 13 – Land Use
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we hear about how satellites are used to study changes in land use and its impacts.
Eyes on Earth Episode 12 – Plant Health via Satellite (NDVI)
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we learn about an important tool for remote sensing scientists – the Normalized Difference...
Eyes on Earth Episode 11 – EROS Fall Poster Session
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we hear from a few of the scientists on hand for the EROS Fall Poster Session.
...
Eyes on Earth Episode 4 - Cataloging Earth Observation Satellites
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we learn about the ever-expanding number of Earth observation satellites.
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Eyes on Earth Episode 3 - National Land Cover Database
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we talk about the National Land Cover Database.
...
Eyes on Earth Episode 2 - Chernobyl
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we talk about the Chernobyl disaster.
...
Eyes on Earth Episode 1 - Intro to EROS
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we learn about EROS history and purpose.
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Eyes on Earth
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center.
Click the "Multimedia" tab above to access each episode. ...
United States Assessments of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources
USGS Energy Resources Program provides periodic assessments of the oil and natural gas endowment of the United States and the World (click here for information about World Oil and Gas Assessments). This website provides access to new, prioritized, assessment results and supporting data for the United States, as part...
June 2014 floods in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa
Learn more about USGS flood activities related to the June 2014 Floods in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa.
Summer 2011 Missouri River Basin flood
Learn more about USGS flood activities related to the 2011 Missouri River Basin Flood resulting from higher-than-average snowmelt runoff combined with heavy spring rains.
The NWIS mapper provides access to over 1.5 million sites contained in the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS), including sites where current and historical surface-water, groundwater, springs, and atmospheric data has been collected. Users can search by site type, data type, site number, or place.
GIS Data for Sioux Arch Oil and Gas Assessments
Interactively explore assessment summary information for continuous (unconventional) assessments conducted at the USGS from 2000-2018. The assessment results data used to generate this visualization can be downloaded here in Excel Format. These data represent all assessment results for Continuous Assessments only from 2000-2018.
Historical remote sensing phenology (RSP) image data and graphics for the conterminous U.S. are made freely available from the USGS/EROS Center through this website. Five data sets are distributed: CONUS 1 km AVHRR RSP data, C5 Eastern CONUS 250 m eMODIS RSP data, C6 Eastern CONUS 250 m eMODIS RSP data, C5 Western CONUS 250 m eMODIS RSP data, and C6 Western CONUS 250 m eMODIS RSP data.
The Coastal National Elevation Database (CoNED) Project Viewer is a portal to the topobathymetric models created with the expertise of the expertise of the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center near Sioux Falls, SD.
The EarthNow! Landsat Image Viewer displays imagery in near real-time as Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 orbit the Earth. Along with the near real-time video stream, EarthNow! also replays acquisition recordings from a list of previous Landsat overpasses. When Landsat 7 or Landsat 8 are out of viewing range of a ground station, the most recent overpass is displayed.
The Land Treatment Exploration Tool is designed for resource managers to use when planning land treatments. The tool provides useful summaries of environmental characteristics of planned treatment areas and facilitates adaptive management practices by comparing those characteristics to other similar treatments within a specified distance or area of interest. Provisional Software.
The National Water Information System (NWIS) web application provides access to real-time and historical surface-water, groundwater, water-quality, and water-use data collected at approximately 1.5 million sites across all 50 states.
At selected surface-water and groundwater sites, the USGS maintains instruments that continuously record physical and chemical characteristics of the water including pH, specific conductance, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and percent dissolved-oxygen saturation. Supporting data such as air temperature and barometric pressure are also available at some sites.
Data from wells, springs, test holes, tunnels, drains, and excavations in South Dakota; well location data includes information such as latitude and longitude, well depth, and aquifer. Groundwater level data are collected and stored as either discrete field-water-level measurements or as continuous time-series data from automated recorders.
The U.S. Geological Survey has a database/archive of about 850,000 wells across the Nation. A well with below normal groundwater levels is identified when the most recent water-level measurement is in the 24th percentile or lower in the month of measurement over the period of record for the well.
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This map shows the provinces assessed by the USGS for undiscovered oil and gas resources.
Quaternary geologic map of the Dakotas 4° x 6° degree quadrangle, United States - This digital dataset is available for the Quaternary geology in North and South Dakota
Digital map of aquifer boundary for the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming - This digital data set represents the extent of the High Plains aquifer in the central United States
The 3DEP products and services available through The National Map consist of standard digital elevation models (DEMs) at various horizontal resolutions, elevation source and associated datasets, an elevation point query service and bulk point query service. All 3DEP products are available, free of charge and without use restrictions.
Conceptual model to assess water use associated with the life cycle of unconventional oil and gas development
As the demand for energy increases in the United States, so does the demand for water used to produce many forms of that energy. Technological advances, limited access to conventional oil and gas accumulations, and the rise of oil and gas prices resulted in increased development of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) accumulations. Unconventional oil...
Valder, Joshua F.; McShane, Ryan R.; Barnhart, Theodore B.; Sando, Roy; Carter, Janet M.; Lundgren, Robert F. Digital map of aquifer boundary for the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming
This digital data set represents the extent of the High Plains aquifer in the central United States. The extent of the High Plains aquifer covers 174,000 square miles in eight states: Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This data set represents a compilation of information from digital and paper...
Qi, Sharon Estimated use of water in South Dakota, 2005
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...
Carter, Janet M.; Neitzert, Kathleen M. Estimated use of water in South Dakota, 2000
During 2000, the total amount of water withdrawn from ground- and surface-water sources in South Dakota was about 528 Mgal/d (million gallons per day). Of this amount, about 222 Mgal/d, or 42 percent of the total, was from ground water. Surface-water withdrawals were about 306 Mgal/d, or 58 percent of the total. Total withdrawals for six...
Amundson, Franklin D. Historical water-quality data for the High Plains Regional Ground-Water Study Area in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1930-98
The High Plains aquifer underlies 174,000 square miles in parts of eight States and includes eight primary hydrogeologic units, including the well-known Ogallala Formation. The High Plains aquifer is an important resource, providing water for 27 percent of the Nation?s irrigated agricultural lands in an otherwise dry landscape. Since the 1980?s...
Litke, David W.
Estimated use of water in South Dakota, 1995
Amundson, Franklin D.
National water summary 1987: Hydrologic events and water supply and use
Water use in the United States, as measured by freshwater withdrawals in 1985, averaged 338,000 Mgal/d (million gallons per day), which is enough water to cover the 48 conterminous States to a depth of about 2.4 inches. Only 92,300 Mgal/d, or 27.3 percent of the water withdrawn, was consumptive use and thus lost to immediate further use; the...
Carr, Jerry E.; Chase, Edith B.; Paulson, Richard W.; Moody, David W. Estimated water use in South Dakota, 1985
Water use in South Dakota during 1985 is estimated to have been 674 million gal/day. This is a slight decrease from the 1980 estimate of 690 million gal/day. Of the total use, 63% was from surface-water sources and 37% was from groundwater sources. About 75% of the total water use was for agriculture, 16% was for domestic and commercial use, 8%...
Benson, Rick D.; Winterton, J.E.
Eyes on Earth Episode 11 - EROS Fall Poster Session
Each fall, EROS invites its staff scientists and area graduate students to visit for a noontime poster session. The poster sessions offer a change for those researchers to present their results to their peers and get feedback from their fellow scientists. For this episode, we’ll hear about research into biofuels, cloud-friendly Landsat data, shrubland mapping and satellite
...
Image of the Week - Unplanted Acres in South Dakota
Abnormally high spring rainfall and subsequent flooding in the Midwest had a season-long impact on cropland production. In these Landsat images of South Dakota growing vegetation is shown as green and unplanted areas appear pink. The difference between 2018 and 2019 is striking.
A designation of "prevented planting" is given to unplanted acres as a signal to crop
...
Eyes on Earth Episode 7 – Training Iraqi Scientists
EROS scientists track water availability and crop health around the world to help governments and non-profits manage resources and stave off food shortages. But EROS also teaches international scientists to track those resources themselves. In this episode, we hear about a recent training session at EROS for Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources.
Eyes on Earth Episode 12 – Plant Health via Satellite (NDVI)
A farmer at the foot of a corn stalk can tell how well the plant is faring. That same farmer might survey his entire field for crop health. But assessing the health of crops or forests at regional, national, and international scales requires remote sensing, most often via satellite. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we talk to Jesslyn Brown about the Normalized Difference
...
Eyes on Earth Episode 6 - Satellites 101
How much does an Earth observation satellite weigh? How are they launched? How fast does it travel? Does Landsat have a gas tank? In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we answer some of the basic questions surrounding the satellites that define the EROS mission.
Eyes on Earth Episode 4 - Cataloging Earth Observation Satellites
Earth observation used to be the province of a handful of countries with satellite technology. Today, hundreds of satellites built all over the world are launched every year. This episode of Eyes on Earth talks about the explosive growth in the civilian and commercial remote sensing and EROS’ role in it.
Falls Park - Sioux Falls, SD
Nature always displays vibrant colors. It is only a matter of time until you get the chance to witness its beauty. Even more difficult is capturing this beauty through the lens. Here, we see the magnificent beauty of the falls on the Big Sioux River, from which Sioux Falls, SD takes its name, showing the vibrant colors of nature just before sunset.
Determining Land Change Display
An interactive display at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center highlighting land change research.
Determining Land Change Display with Viewers
Viewers look through several years of change in an interactive display at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center.
Eyes on Earth Episode 2 - Chernobyl
When an accident occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant's No. 4 reactor in Ukraine on April 26, 1986, Landsat satellites were among the first to capture visual evidence of its widespread impact. This episode of Eyes on Earth outlines how the disaster focused the world's attention on the value of remote sensing.
Eyes on Earth - Episode 3 - The National Land Cover Database
Sorting Landsat data into an accurate and reliable record of land cover in the United States is one of the most important jobs at EROS. This episode of Eyes on Earth explores the what, how, and why of the National Land Cover Database (NLCD).
Eyes on Earth Episode 5 – Declassified Data at EROS
There’s a lot more than Landsat in the EROS Archive. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we hear from a professor who’s mined satellite data collected during once-classified military missions to peer into the history of land use in Eastern Europe during the height of the Cold War.
The Landsat program and the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center have long held and important place in the nation’s Earth observation (EO) policy.
Christopher “Chris” Crawford likes to say his roles with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as a research physical scientist, the Landsat Project Scientist, and co-chair of the Landsat Science Team are akin to staring down a foot of snow on the driveway.
Satellite data is everywhere. It’s in the swirling clouds of the nightly news weather forecasts and the land surface maps beneath them. It’s in our pockets, showing up as base layers in smartphone mapping applications.
He started at EROS in November 1980. His first job—data analyst in Science and Applications. From there, John Dwyer traveled a wide-ranging and opportunistic path through what he calls an incredibly satisfying career here at the Center.
Landsat 9 mission updates and ground station preparation are among the major topics on the agenda for the scientists and engineers from 11 counties visiting Sioux Falls, SD this week for the annual meeting of the Landsat Technical Working Group (LTWG).
In the spring of 1996, the Kansas Applied Remote Sensing (KARS) program on the campus of Kansas University started chronicling the greening and browning of America.
CJ Loria didn’t have the smoothest transition into his role as the new Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center director.
He had been on the job less than two weeks when the government shut down for 35 days, starting Dec. 22, 2018. Then the dogs of winter—the wind, the snow, the cold—came howling, filling him with visions of his life back in Louisiana very quickly.
Christopher Joseph (CJ) Loria brings a fascinating back story—and a quiet, collaborative leadership philosophy—to his role as the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center’s newest director.
News media and the public are invited to a free meeting about critical South Dakota-area water issues on Thursday, April 11, in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Reporters: Do you want to interview USGS scientists in the Sioux Falls area on Monday, March 25, or Tuesday, March 26, as they measure flooding? Please contact Jennifer LaVista, Marisa Lubeck or Chris Laveau.
Will oversee Landsat satellite and Earth imaging operations
The mapping and classification of land use and land cover has long been a primary duty for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and remotely-sensed data at the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center has served as the backbone of the Survey’s modern efforts.
In recent years, two advancements in remote sensing emerged that promise to revolutionize the field.
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Locations
Dakota Water Science Center- Huron Programs Office
Phone: (605) 352-4241
Fax: (605) 352-4304
Dakota Water Science Center- Rapid City
Phone: (605) 394-3200
Fax: (605) 355-4523
Dakota Water Science Center- Pierre Field Office
Phone: (605) 224-8440
Fax: (605) 224-8478
Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
custserv@usgs.gov
Phone: 800-252-4547
Yankton, South Dakota Field Research Station
Phone: 605-665-9217