Unified Interior Regions
South Dakota
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.
States L2 Landing Page Tabs
Black Hills Area Floods Since 1877
Summary of Floods in the Black Hills Area Since 1877.
Black Hills Area Floods - 1921 to 1930
Black Hills Area Floods - 1921 to 1930
Black Hills Area Floods - 2000 to 2009
Black Hills Area Floods - 2000 to 2009
Black Hills Area Floods - 1961 to 1970
Black Hills Area Floods - 1961 to 1970
Look under the Multimedia table for pictures and more information regarding the event date and location, flow data (if available), a brief summary of the event, and links to available photographs or scanned newspaper articles.
Black Hills Area Floods - 1931 to 1940
Black Hills Area Floods - 1931 to 1940
Look under the Multimedia table for pictures and more information regarding the event date and location, flow data (if available), a brief summary of the event, and links to available photographs or scanned newspaper articles.
Black Hills Area Floods - 1901 to 1910
Black Hills Area Floods - 1901 to 1910
Look under the Multimedia table for pictures and more information regarding the event date and location, flow data (if available), a brief summary of the event, and links to available photographs or scanned newspaper articles.
Black Hills Area Floods - 1941 to 1950
Black Hills Area Floods - 1941 to 1950
Look under the Multimedia table for pictures and more information regarding the event date and location, flow data (if available), a brief summary of the event, and links to available photographs or scanned newspaper articles.
Black Hills Area Floods - 1951 to 1960
Black Hills Area Floods - 1951 to 1960
Look under the Multimedia table for pictures and more information regarding the event date and location, flow data (if available), a brief summary of the event, and links to available photographs or scanned newspaper articles.
Black Hills Area Floods - 1911 to 1920
Black Hills Area Floods - 1911 to 1920
Look under the Multimedia table for pictures and more information regarding the event date and location, flow data (if available), a brief summary of the event, and links to available photographs or scanned newspaper articles.
Black Hills Area Floods - 1981 to 1990
Black Hills Area Floods - 1981 to 1990
Look under the Multimedia table for pictures and more information regarding the event date and location, flow data (if available), a brief summary of the event, and links to available photographs or scanned newspaper articles.
Black Hills Area Floods - 1971 to 1980
Black Hills Area Floods - 1971 to 1980
Look under the Multimedia table for pictures and more information regarding the event date and location, flow data (if available), a brief summary of the event, and links to available photographs or scanned newspaper articles.
Black Hills Area Floods - 1891 to 1900
Black Hills Area Floods - 1891 to 1900
Look under the Multimedia table for pictures and more information regarding the event date and location, flow data (if available), a brief summary of the event, and links to available photographs or scanned newspaper articles.
Land Change in the Black Hills - LCMAP
Animation of land cover change in the Black Hills, created using Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection data from the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center.
An Introduction to the AppEEARS Point Sampler
This short video provides a quick demonstration of the Point Sample using the Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples (AρρEEARS).
AppEEARS provides a simple and efficient way to subset, transform, and visualize geospatial data distributed from a variety of federal archives. The following topics are discussed in the video: how to submit a
Bison in Badlands National Park
Bison in the grasslands of Badlands National Park. Tens of millions of bison once roamed this region, but were nearly eliminated by the early 20th century due to overhunting. Bison were brought back to Badlands in 1963 and the population has thrived. The park is concerned about how water and forage availability might change as the climate changes, and what this
...Using the Advanced Criteria in EarthExplorer
EarthExplorer helps users get to exactly the scenes they want. The Additional Criteria tab helps users pick scenes that meet specific requirements.
This video will show you how to utilize the Additional Criteria tab in EarthExplorer.
You can find additional videos on tools and types of imagery available on this website:
National Oil and Gas Assessment Provinces
This is a graphic from the USGS National Oil and Gas Assessment Explorer application, which allows user to drill into 70 oil and gas assessment provinces throughout the United States.
Kristi Sayler at LCMAP workshop
USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center scientist Kristi Sayler speaks to participants in a November 2018 workshop on Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection in Sioux Falls, SD.
Roger Auch Presentation at LCMAP Workshop
USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center scientist Roger Auch presents on Land Change in the Piedmont Ecoregion at a November 2018 workshop on Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection in Sioux Falls, SD.
LCMAP Workshop - Validation
USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center contractor Bruce Pengra presents on LCMAP validation during a workshop in Sioux Falls, SD.
Zhe Zhu and Curtis Woodcock at LCMAP workshop
Texas Tech University's Zhe Zhu and Boston University's Curtis Woodcock at a November 2018 workshop on Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection at the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, SD.
LCMAP Workshop 2018 Group Photo
Group photo of participants in a November 2018 workshop on Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection at the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, SD.
USGS EROS Scientists at LCMAP workshop
USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center scientists Heather Tollerud, Terry Sohl, Jennifer Rover and Jon Dewitz use the LCMAP Timeseries Analysis and Plotting Tool (TAPTool) during a November 2018 workshop on Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection in Sioux Falls, SD.
LCMAP workshop participants
USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center contractors Suming Jin, Patrick Danielson and Kelcy Smith use the LCMAP Timeseries Analysis and Plotting Tool (TAPTool) during a November 2018 workshop in Sioux Falls, SD.

USGS has produced topographic maps of American landscapes for more than a century as part of its Congressional mandate to maintain the elevation data that helps document change across the Nation. The use of LiDAR, refined at EROS, is key to modern topography.
Instead of requiring costly dredging to remove sediment buildup behind water reservoirs and diversions, sediment from reservoirs in the Missouri River Basin could actually be used as fracking proppant feedstock, also known as frac sand, according to a recently published U.S. Geological Survey study.
About 70 percent of wild prairie dogs successfully ingested baits containing an oral sylvatic plague vaccine, or SPV, that were distributed throughout their habitats, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study.

Conference: April 19, 2018
Field trips: April 20, 2018
Monitoring our changing planet is critical to supporting a world population expected to reach eight billion by 2025. Observing the Earth from space offers unprecedented levels of data and a holistic view, which enables scientists to detect the most critical trends in natural resource conditions at local and global scales.
A carbonatite here, a glacial moraine there, a zig-zagging fault or two, even a behemoth of a batholith. The geology of the 50 States is an enormous patchwork of varied forms, beautiful in their variance but challenging to present as a single map.
The U.S. Geological Survey has released a new report detailing changes of groundwater levels in the High Plains aquifer. The report presents water-level change data in the aquifer for two separate periods: from 1950 – the time prior to significant groundwater irrigation development – to 2015, and from 2013 to 2015.
Earth as Art, a U.S. Geological Survey traveling exhibit that merges art with dramatic Landsat imagery of the earth’s surface, is coming to Bismarck for the month of April. This display is free and open to the public.
Media and the public are invited to attend a free meeting about South Dakota water issues on Thursday, April 6, in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Joyce E. Williamson, a native of South Dakota and a South Dakota School of Mines and Technology alumna, was selected as the director of the newly formed U.S. Geological Survey Dakota Water Science Center. Williamson is located in the center’s Rapid City, South Dakota, office.
A new U.S. Geological Survey publication and model can be applied by multiple entities to better understand flow, quantity, sources and sinks of groundwater in the Northern High Plains Aquifer, which covers approximately 100,000 square miles across Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming.
Bifenthrin combats pests, but may harm aquatic ecosystems