Drought Shrinks South Dakota Lake to Inches of Water

Bear Butte Lake, normally 215 acres and 15 feet deep, has dwindled to a shallow strip as shortages spread across the state.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Utilities

Photograph of a shallow water strip running across cracked, exposed lakebed in open prairie, with a distant rounded hill on the horizon under a pale sky. — Bear Butte Lake, normally 215 acres and 15 feet deep, has shrunk to a shallow strip as drought spreads shortages across South Dakota. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Bear Butte Lake in South Dakota has dropped to a strip of water just inches deep, far below its normal 215-acre surface and 15-foot depth. Rural water systems in eastern South Dakota have no capacity to serve new customers as wells across the state run low or dry.

Why it matters

The lake has no spring or creek feeding it, and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks fisheries supervisor Jeremy Kientz attributed the depletion to low precipitation. Prolonged drought is coinciding with rising demand from homes, businesses and farms, straining water supplies statewide.

Municipal wells drawing from aquifers in four major Black Hills counties grew from fewer than a dozen in 1960 to nearly 100 today. Water systems are pursuing expansions that could total $13 billion over several decades, with the state's new fund offering $3 million in loans and grants.

The players

Jeremy Kientz

Fisheries supervisor with South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks who attributed the lake's depletion to low precipitation.

Mike Derby

South Dakota state representative who co-chaired a legislative work group briefing lawmakers on water systems and emerging shortages.

The details

Senate Bill 231 passed during the 2026 legislative session, establishing a Water Infrastructure Development Fund with $3 million in state funding for rural water projects. Communities supplied by the Big Sioux Aquifer, including those around Sioux Falls, face shortages, and parts of the Black Hills' Spring Creek have stopped flowing.

1960: Fewer than a dozen municipal wells drew from Black Hills aquifers.
2026 legislative session: Senate Bill 231 passed, creating the water infrastructure fund.
2027 session: State Representative Mike Derby's successor plan to seek additional water funding is expected, per Duhamel's plans.

Roadmap

South Dakota's Senate Bill 231 created a $3 million Water Infrastructure Development Fund in the 2026 session to address rural shortages. Water systems are now pursuing expansions that could total $13 billion over several decades, a scale that dwarfs the initial state commitment.

Rural households and ranches relying on wells face low or dry supplies, and some eastern rural systems cannot take new customers. Residents in affected areas may encounter limits on connecting to water service until new projects are built.

The takeaway

Water experts are calling for conservation and reuse of existing supplies until pipeline projects come online. Households and farms can reduce demand now while longer-term infrastructure is funded and built.