The Rosebud Sioux Tribe Drought Trends Analysis and Groundwater Recharge Implementation Plan
This project will address the pressing challenge of climate change impacts on water resources for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. The region faces heightened drought risks due to changing climate patterns, and groundwater is a critical resource in times of drought.
The Great Plains, and particularly the Rosebud Reservation, grapple with semi-arid conditions and variable precipitation, amplifying vulnerability to climate change as drought conditions become more frequent and severe. Economic activities, such as ranching and farming, hinge on groundwater from the High Plains aquifer. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe seeks to better understand its vulnerability to future drought and strengthen its water resilience in the face of climatic uncertainties.
The overarching goal of the project is to provide the Rosebud Sioux Tribe with the information and tools needed to maintain a sustainable water supply on their reservation. Options will be investigated to increase the supply of groundwater on the reservation through tools like managed aquifer recharge of periodically available excess surface water. Conclusions of this effort will be supported by groundwater modeling to evaluate adaptation options to increase the resiliency of the water supply and will be a resource for decision-makers, water users, and the general public.
This research was funded by NIDIS through the FY 2024 Coping with Drought: Tribal Drought Resilience grant competition. For more information, please contact Britt Parker (britt.parker@noaa.gov).
Research Snapshot
Syed Huq, Rosebud Sioux Tribe
What to expect from this research
The project includes three key tasks:
- Managed Aquifer Recharge Implementation Plan: Evaluating the feasibility of managed aquifer recharge on the Rosebud Reservation, targeting the Ogallala aquifer, employing GIS-based decision analysis to identify optimal sites.
- Analysis of Drought Trends and Groundwater Levels: Using existing U.S. Geological Survey groundwater models to simulate diverse drought scenarios and assess response measures.
- Drought Mitigation Dashboard: Enhance the Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s existing Decision Dashboard to publicly share study findings and include real-time groundwater data, where available.
