Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2015SD246B

South Dakota Water Resources Institute FY2015 Information Transfer Program

Institute: South Dakota
Year Established: 2015 Start Date: 2015-03-01 End Date: 2016-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $16,950 Total Non-Federal Funds: $33,900

Principal Investigators: Van Kelley, Kevin Dalsted

Project Summary: The Information Transfer Program includes public outreach, planned participation in the annual Dakotafest Farm Show, field days, steering committee representation and active involvement in the Big Sioux Water Festival and in the Eastern South Dakota Water Conference, interactions with extension specialists and local, state and federal agencies, participation and presentations at regional and national conferences, youth education, adult education and university student training and education. Outreach activities will include communication using the Institute’s website including separate pages for research projects, Institute activities, resources for water supply and quality relating to surface water, irrigation and lawn care, livestock water use, household water use and groundwater protection. The Institute will additionally use its Facebook account to communicate with constituents. The Institute will promote its activities and impacts through the quarterly newsletter and by organizing, either as the lead organization or as a steering committee member, conferences, meeting and festivals. Institute personnel and collaborators anticipate publishing and promoting their research findings in peer-reviewed journal articles, factsheets and other publications as well as presentations at conferences and meetings. The Information Transfer program will also include interaction with local, state and federal agencies/entities to find management actions and solutions of water-related problems in South Dakota. The South Dakota Water Resource Institute (WRI) is represented as a non-core member at the Non-Point Source Task Force, which is administered by the SD Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Institute personnel will continue our strong collaboration with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to analyze and interpret information from ongoing research activities by the WRI and others to produce conservation practice standards. Water quality interpretation will continue to be provided by the WRI and its collaborators for livestock producers, irrigators, homeowners and others. Publications, such as pamphlets, educational materials, reports and peer-reviewed journal entries, are planned and will be disseminated in electronic formats through the WRI’s website and are designed to support the WRI mission.