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"Angostura Reservoir is at 39.5 percent of its storage capacity, or more than 20 feet below full," said DENR Secretary Steve Pirner.
"Because the reservoir has not filled this year, the BOR requested the department issue shutoff orders to the 46 holders of water rights that are junior to its 1941 priority date."
State water law authorizes DENR and the Water Management Board to issue water right permits to people who want to put water to beneficial use, such as irrigation, municipal water supply, or commercial use. South Dakota water law is based on the prior appropriation doctrine, which means the most senior water rights have priority to available water supplies over more junior water rights.
Water elevation records indicate Angostura Reservoir is more than 3 feet lower than last year at this time and finished February at the second lowest level for that month in 55 years of record-keeping.
"The purpose of state water law is to ensure that those water users with the most senior rights have the best chance of getting water during any given year," said Pirner. "In this case, we have been asked to protect the senior right of the Bureau of Reclamation and Angostura Irrigation District."
"Last year was an extraordinarily dry year, following several consecutive years of drought," said chief engineer of the DENR Water Rights Program, Garland Erbele. "Conditions at this time indicate another year of below normal spring precipitation. Without appreciable amounts of rain, water availability in the state's surface waters may reach critically low levels. At some point, additional shutoff orders may be issued for other rivers and streams and remain in effect until surface water flows recover."
This is the fourth year in a row drought-related shutoff orders for the Cheyenne River upstream of Angostura Reservoir have been issued at the request of the BOR.
Kim Smith is an information specialist for the South Dakota Department of Natural Resources.
