Conservation

All Conservation Content
Two headwater prairie streams in Butte County.

Ranching and Prairie Streams: What Healthy Riparian Areas Mean for Your Ranch

Prairie streams and their associated riparian areas can provide numerous ecosystem services to a ranching operation.

Cottonwood Creek on the SDSU Cottonwood Field Station.

Ranching and Prairie Streams: Why Riparian Areas Matter

For many producers, riparian pastures are essential to their operations. However, land managers need to balance grazing and utilization needs with riparian health for the long-term benefit of their operation.

Canada thistle growing in a pasture.

Current State of Noxious Weed Management in South Dakota

Results of an online survey to determine how South Dakota stakeholders are currently managing noxious weeds.

Tractor planting seed in a no-till field.

Conservation Practices Increasing in South Dakota

The recently released Agricultural Census data of 2022 shows that the share of cropland acres under conservation practices has continued to increase in South Dakota.

Aerial view of a cattle operation.

Carbon Markets and Beef Production: Overview

Learn about the Carbon Markets and Beef Production program, which aims to demystify many of the aspects of greenhouse gas emissions, climate-smart agriculture practices, and carbon markets for producers and landowners.

Farmer standing in a no-till field.

Farming Practice Comparisons in South Dakota: A case study across the fence and implications for the future

This extension study intends to provide some new insights on the financial and carbon storage comparisons between neighboring farms using conventional farming versus conservation practices (mainly no-till and cover crops).

Sushant Mehan smiles at the camera. He is wearing a black suit and striped tie

SDSU Extension welcomes new water specialist

November 28, 2023

South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to welcome Sushant Mehan as a new Water Resource Engineer Specialist and assistant professor.

Numerous winter-killed fish along the shoreline of a lake.

The Most-Common Cause of Fish Kills in South Dakota

There are many ways for fish kills to occur in freshwater lakes, but the most-common cause by far is dissolved oxygen depletion. Learn about some of the seasonal and environmental factors that can lead to oxygen depletion.

Grazing exclosure constructed in a rangeland area.

End-of-Season Monitoring

The end of the grazing season is a great time to monitor your pasture/rangeland resources. Learn about some strategies and tools available to help assess where you stand at the end of the season.

a metal structure with white tarps wrapped over it, resembling a hoop shape

SDSU Extension to feature Beadle Conservation District at High Tunnel Field Day

September 13, 2023

Perfect for farmers, technical service providers, gardeners and anyone curious about high tunnels, the field day is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CDT on Sept. 21, 2023, at the Beadle Conservation District site, 1174 Lincoln Ave. SW, Huron, South Dakota. It is free to attend.