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Water and Dust

Water and Dust

Water and Dust Much of the settlement of the state can be examined by looking at how water and dust have played a major role in its human occupation. The many rivers in South Dakota, from the small Keya Paha in the south-central part of the state to the Mighty Missouri running through its heart, have provided life-giving waters and life-taking floods. Too little water also wreaked havoc on human lives. This episode examines the great floods, dust storms, and the good times when water led to boom years and good crops.

Related Resources
The resources include an episode guide, additional videos, activities, and more.

YouTube Playlist with a variety episode related topics including Dams History and Safety.

On June 9, 1972, an exceptionally heavy rain fell on areas of the Black Hills leading to a flood.
One of the first floods to be recorded at the confluence of the James River and the Missouri River occurred in 1881.
The facility first known as the Spearfish Fish Cultural Station was established in 1896 by the U.S. Fish Commission.
In the summer of 2021, the state was so deep into a drought it was easy to forget a much different past.
Historically, the 100th meridian marked the shift from the wet east to the drier west. Now that's changing.
News and information from South Dakota Public Broadcasting and NPR.
News and information from South Dakota Public Broadcasting and NPR.

May we never forget
Note: view each example for inappropriate content – some contain GRAPHIC IMAGES and NUDITY.  
The anniversary brings a flood of memories for survivors.
Photos taken by Joseph Hutton, professor of Agronomy at SDSU.
The plan to build a canal between Lake Traverse and Big Stone Lake.
Windmills were used in South Dakota to move water.
Clovers and natural prairie make South Dakota an ideal place for honeybees to thrive.

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