Dakota Water Below Normal

South Dakota farmers will be making do with less irrigation water this season-and reaping a smaller harvest. There will be increased landscape irrigation restrictions throughout the region too.

The southwest is enjoying the fruits-irrigation wise-of a record rainy season. It's a different story along the nation's northern tier.

In April, South Dakota's Orman Dam near Belle Fourche was only half full. It's still losing water at an alarming rate.

"We are going to have less water to deliver making it just a tougher year,?EUR??,,????'?? Clint Pitts of Belle Fourche Irrigation District said this spring.

The dry weather is taking a toll on the irrigation dam forcing the district to implement a more efficient way to get irrigators water.

"We can deliver more water now with less water in the dam then we ever could before,?EUR??,,????'?? said Pitts.

But still the water level is so low it's hardly helping and the 500 irrigators who use the dam will have much less water to work with this year.

"They're going to be short of water,?EUR??,,????'?? said Pitts. The bottom line for agricultural operations is not good: ?EUR??,,????'??They won't produce as much as they could.?EUR??,,????'??

The same goes for residential and nursery customers.

Win Bauer of Butte County Weed and Pest says the drought isn't the only thing capable of stealing water from irrigators adding the increasing growth of salt cedar near the dam poses an equally serious threat.

"A mature tree could take about 200 gallons plus they leave salt residence and harm vegetation around the tree,?EUR??,,????'?? said Bauer.

Salt cedar trees have extended root systems that can withstand many techniques used to control growth. Last fall, the irrigation district treated it with chemicals and in just one-year reproduction nearly doubled.

?EUR??,,????'??It's not a plant that's conducive for good agriculture, we have no good use for it, except to get rid of it.?EUR??,,????'??