Drought

It been a whale of a winter, and it’s still a week from officially ending. As a result, snowfall totals have already turned the heads of the states’ weather watchers.

You’re probably getting pretty tired of all this snow by now, but it's not all gray clouds and icy sidewalks. South Dakota has contended with drought conditions for years, and this precipitation is exactly what the doctor ordered.

The National Weather Service expects dry conditions in South Dakota to persist through the winter.

The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service has patented a new cloud seeding technology using electrically charged water.

Millions of federal infrastructure dollars mean the Lewis and Clark Regional Regional Water System will be completed earlier than expected.

Seventy percent of the Missouri River basin is in some category of drought.Officials say that means flooding risk this year is low.

A South Dakota expert says high prices at the grocery store could pressure farmers to plant more crops. And that could hurt the environment.

The most recent Drought Monitor Map for South Dakota is showing that drought conditions are continuing across the state, and it’s worrying ranchers as 2022 marks a third year enduring these conditions.

In the words of Pat Guptill, "If we can't grow grass, we can't make money." Guptill is a rancher from Quinn in western South Dakota. As the current drought weighs heavy on farmers and ranchers across the state, Pat joins us today with some first-hand economic advice.

The state of South Dakota still has nearly $1 billion of federal coronavirus relief money, and some state officials want to spend most of it on water projects.