Water and Related Land Resources, James River Basin and Designated Missouri River Sub-Basins, South Dakota

Excerpts from the report: The Study Area has 20,081 square miles which is twenty-six percent of the total land area in the State of South Dakota. This area includes the drainage of the James River in South Dakota, plus the balance of the Oahe Conservancy Sub-District outside the James River Basin (Figure 2). About 42 percent of the State's farms and ranches is in this area, and these produce 37 percent of the total value of farm products sold in the State. The average annual run-off from the James River Basin is 0.23 inch. The water yield is the lowest of all the major river basins in South Dakota. The objective of the Study is to evaluate opportunities for developing water and land resources within the area for present and future use. Achievement of this objective requires an inventory of the utilization of water and land, identification of problems associated with water and land and delineation of other opportunities. Accomplishment of this objective provides data the sponsoring organizations can use to develop understanding among the people of the problems and opportunities within the area. The report will assist in effective planning of possible land and water resource development by various agencies.