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A map of the Big Sioux River Basin.

Big Sioux River Flood Information System Sees Heavy Use During Spring 2019

The Big Sioux River Flood Information System is the result of a combined effort between the SD Department of Environment and Natural Resources, local governments, and private industry, to create a product that can be used to predict the impact of flood events in the Big Sioux River Basin.

road closed sign in front of a flooded road

Floods Continue With a Wet Outlook

As April unfolds, major flooding continues along the Eastern rivers. The James River is at crest in Brown county the first week of April and will slowly recede while maintaining flood level for much of April.

A grilled tri-tip steak on a cutting board. Courtesy: Mark Miller [CC BY-SA 3.0]

How to Grill Amazing Beef Tri-Tip

The beef tri-tip is a newer cut that has become increasingly popular in the recent years due to its excellent flavor characteristics. We have put together a list of tips that will you get started to making a great tri-tip on the grill.

a father and son inspecting a show goat in a competition.

Bringing Home Your 4-H Goat Project

Sales and transport is a stressful time for any animal. Reducing stress factors due to transitions start before the actual purchase of your new project. Managing proper nutrition and disease management are just a couple factors to help your project get off to a great start.

Microscope analyzing a slide.

How the Veterinary Lab Diagnoses Anthrax in a Beef Herd

Anthrax is a serious disease of cattle that pops up somewhere almost every year in South Dakota. It’s caused by a bacteria that survives as a very tough spore form in the soil. Knowing whether a death on pasture has been caused by anthrax is important for several reasons.

male 4-H youth showing a black beef cow

Why Tattoo Your 4-H Livestock?

Proper identification of animals helps create an honest record keeping system. With current DNA blood typing procedures animals can be identified through parentage, but when it comes to everyday practices on the farm or ranch a good tattoo can be a huge time saver in the event of a lost ear tag.

Black cow and calf out on muddy pasture with hay and straw bedding. Photo by Sara Bauder.

Planning for a Muddy Breeding Season

Early calving spring cow herds have wrapped up calving and are preparing for breeding season. If you are having flashbacks to breeding in the mud of 2018, try approaching this year with an open mind and review breeding season protocols with a “mud” backup plan.

Color-coded map of the United States indicating predicted precipitation for July 2019. South Dakota is set to experience above normal precipitation.

July 2019 Climate Outlook: Challenges Continue

This year’s seasonal pattern of wetter than average conditions is projected to continue through July and the rest of the summer season. The latest climate outlook, released June 20, 2019, shows an increased chance of wetter than average conditions in the next one to three months for the state of South Dakota.

neighborhood street flooded with melted snow and water runoff. FEMA News Photo

Flood Insurance

The higher amounts of snow this year will increase the chance of flooding and the potential water damage to homes and residential properties. Now is the time to consider purchasing a flood insurance policy.

Sand Bagged home in surrounded by flood water. FEMA News Photo

Managing Flooding Around Home Structures

As South Dakota and our surrounding neighbors begin to deal with the consequences of spring snowmelt and the dramatic flash flooding that came about from the region’s most recent winter storm, we can only hope that conditions begin to improve quickly.