Pierre Creek is no longer considered an impaired stream. The creek that flows through Miner, McCook and Hansen Counties had high levels of E-coli bacteria in the water.
State agencies helped improve grazing management and livestock waste systems.
Rocky Knippling is a watershed coordinator with the James River Water Development District. He says this project is just the beginning.
“That's an issue statewide. There's lots of rivers and streams that are on that impaired list.”
Knippling says E-coli usually comes from animal feces or bad septic systems. He says it’s a public health issue.
“Pierre Creek flows into Lake Hanson which is a fishery, a boating place for people to go enjoy on the weekends. And then it ultimately dumps into the James River which affects more people downstream. Cleaner water, that's what our goal is.”
South Dakota’s Department of Environment and Agriculture worked with federal and local partners on the project.