Flooding drastically reduced crops in South Dakota

Flooding drastically reduced crops in South Dakota Today’s Video of the Day from the USGS describes the impact of extreme spring flooding on agricultural production in the Midwest, with South Dakota taking the hardest hit.

The amount of unplanted areas across the state in 2019 is incredibly high compared to the growing season of 2018.

By August, 3.9 million acres were designated as being too flooded to plant crops in South Dakota. Major to record flooding occurred on the James, Vermillion and Big Sioux Rivers in eastern South Dakota in March 2010 following an excessively wet fall and winter. The Glacial Lakes in northeastern South Dakota also reached record high levels.

Flood water from Deer Creek, Victoria Creek, Prairie Creek, and smaller drainages emptied into Rapid Creek above Rapid City, swelling the stream to over 300 times its normal volume

—

By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

Video Credit: USGS