South Dakota Water Management Board adopts permit actions, cancels six permits and approves irrigation enforcement

The South Dakota Water Management Board on March 4 approved a series of administrative actions including extensions of future-use permits, cancellations, enforcement for irrigation questionnaire noncompliance and an appointment for Rapid Valley.

Board chair called the remote conference to order and the board moved to adopt its final agenda. The body then adopted the Dec. 3, 2025 minutes and set meeting dates for May 6, 2026 (Floyd Matthews Training Center, Pierre) and July 8–9, 2026. Those scheduling motions passed on roll-call votes.

In substantive business, the board accepted the acting chief engineer's recommendation to allow five future-use permits to remain in effect for an additional seven years, with the next review scheduled in 2033. Amanda Jewell, water rights permitting administrator, told the board the office received no petitions in opposition and that correspondence, recommendations and proof of publication were included in the board packet.

The board also adopted staff recommendations to cancel six water-right permits that staff said were subject to cancellation for reasons including non-construction, abandonment or forfeiture. Staff said each permit holder had been contacted and no one opposed the cancellations.

Amanda Jewell reported that 51 irrigation questionnaires had not been returned as of the most recent update. She said staff recommended amendments to affected permits to add an annual reporting qualification, a one-year suspension for first-time violations, a three-year suspension for second violations and cancellation for a third violation. The board approved the enforcement approach and retained a customary 30-day grace period; Jewell said the permit amendments would go into effect on April 3, 2026 if the grace period was observed.

The board also confirmed 17 unopposed permits issued under authority delegated to the acting chief engineer and presented one public comment from the Prairie Hills Audubon Society regarding Custer West Dam and potential impacts on the American dipper; staff said the locations mentioned were downstream of a larger impoundment and that the permit represented only a modest expansion.

The Rapid Valley Water Conservancy District nominated Kevin Hamm as Rapid Valley watermaster for 2026. Michaela Steen of the water rights program, Rapid City office, presented the nomination and the board adopted the recommendation to appoint Kevin Hamm.

Votes at a glance:
- Adopt final agenda — mover: Kepler; second: Freeman; outcome: approved (roll call: 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent). (See motion recorded at the start of the meeting.)
- Adopt Dec. 3, 2025 minutes — mover: Freeman; second: Comas; outcome: approved (roll call: 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent).
- Set May 6, 2026 meeting — mover: Kepler; second: Dixon/Freeman; outcome: approved (roll call: 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent).
- Set July 8–9, 2026 meeting — mover: Freeman; second: Komas; outcome: approved (roll call: 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent).
- Extend 5 future-use permits for 7 years — mover: (acting chief engineer recommendation adopted); second: (recorded); outcome: approved (roll call: 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent).
- Cancel 6 permits (non-construction/abandonment/forfeiture) — mover: Freeman; second: Holzweier; outcome: approved (roll call: 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent).
- Adopt enforcement steps for 51 irrigation questionnaire violations (amend permit qualifications; suspensions; cancellation on third violation) — mover: Comas; second: Kepler/Dixon; outcome: approved (roll call: 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent). Amendments to take effect April 3, 2026 if 30-day grace period observed.
- Confirm appointment of Kevin Hamm as Rapid Valley watermaster — mover: Thomas; second: Freeman; outcome: approved (roll call: 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent).
- Amend future-use permit qualifications for Joint Wellfield permits 6988-3 series to reflect a combined reserve of 875 acre-feet annually — mover: Freeman; second: Comas; outcome: approved (roll call: 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent).

What board members said: Mark Mayer, director of the Office of Water, highlighted the number of contested items expected in May and noted it may be a two-day meeting. Amanda Jewell provided the detailed compliance recommendations for irrigation-questionnaire holdouts and described the notification process used to contact permit holders.

Next steps: The board will reconvene in May; staff will implement the adopted permit amendments and notify affected permit holders. The board also will publish the recorded audio and packet materials per the usual public portal.

(Quotations in this article are taken from the board's March 4, 2026 proceedings and attributed to speakers who spoke during the meeting.)