Natural Resources

All Natural Resources Content

An orange plastic hoop placed around a portion of tall grass on a range to provide a measurement.

You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: Range Record Keeping

Range record keeping helps detect and demonstrate landscape changes that have a direct impact on your ability to maintain or grow your herd.

Herd of bison behind a fencline in a pasture.

Getting Started With Bison Ranching

While bison ranching has some similarities with cattle ranching, there are significant differences that must be accounted for to ensure long-term sustainability and profitability.

grass with field bindweed, a viny green weed with white flowers

Weed Control: Noxious Weeds

Weed control recommendations for noxious weeds in South Dakota.

Trying to figure out the nutrient loss in your tile drainage system? The Nutrient Loss Calculator can help. This useful tool helps landowners collect a snapshot of nutrient loss in their drainage systems.

A screenshot of the ag land soil tables tool.

South Dakota Agricultural Land Soil Productivity Tool

The Ag Land Soil Tables Tool allows users to view soil data and download data by county to further understand the soil rating system. It can help appraisers make baseline agricultural land assessments and determine if adjustments from baseline are needed.

Construction Aggregate Mining Map in South Dakota

Water For All

These videos are meant to raise awareness among South Dakota citizens about the kinds of water information available to them.

A prescribed burning taking place in a field.

Prescribed Fire

SDSU Extension works collaboratively with state and federal partners to educate landowners about the use of fire as a grassland management tool.

Vast, rolling rangeland with spring plant growth.

SDSU Extension invites public to 2026 SD Grasslands Summit

February 05, 2026

South Dakota State University Extension is inviting everyone interested in grasslands to attend the 2026 South Dakota Grasslands Summit on March 3-4 in Mitchell.

A herd of cattle gather around a stock pond on a vast, lush grassland. Courtesy: USDA [CC BY 2.0]

Weed Control: Pasture and Range

There are many undesirable plants or invasive plant species in South Dakota's 24 million acres of native and tame pasture range. This guide provides a summary of different herbicide suggestions and uses.

Rolling Rangeland with patches of snow with a wire snow catch fence on the right.

Reading the Range in Winter: What Dormant Season Clues Reveal About Spring

For range and grazing management, winter is one of the most revealing times of the year. With a few hours in each pasture, managers can gather a season’s worth of insight and set themselves up for a more-resilient grazing year.