The South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) launched a new interactive database map to provide the public with online access to water quality data for lakes and streams. The Water Quality Monitoring Access Portal map provides water quality data collected over the past 50 years from DENR’s Statewide Water Quality Monitoring Network, intensive water quality monitoring surveys, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) assessments, regional lake surveys, and citizen monitoring.
The accessible information consists of data from 3,593 water quality monitoring stations as well as the results for more than 140,000 water chemistry samples, 2,500 algae samples, and 8,400 fish flesh samples. In addition, the portal provides easy one-stop access to 234 TMDL reports and 175 water quality documents.
“Governor Noem supports transparency in state government,” said Steve Pirner, DENR Secretary. “Following her philosophy, the new Water Quality Monitoring Access Portal map is another online product to make DENR more open and expand our e-government services.”
The Water Quality Monitoring map allows the public to search DENR’s water quality database 24-hours a day, seven days a week. With this addition, DENR’s GIS (Geographic Information System) Interactive Map Dashboard now includes the following 14 searchable maps, allowing the public access to thousands of environmental data records across South Dakota:
- Water Quality Monitoring Access Portal
- Sand, Gravel, and Construction Aggregate Mining Database
- Dry Draw Locations
- Spills Reports
- Tanks Database Viewer
- Regulated Air Quality Facilities
- Recycling Facilities
- Waterbodies Eligible Under the Buffer Bill
- Big Sioux River Flood Information System
- Water Well Completion Reports DENR 19-29
- Oil and Gas Resources
- Permitted Solid Waste Facilities
- Observation Wells
- Measured Lakes
The DENR’s interactive maps can be accessed by clicking here.