Herseth for Congress

House OKs Pactola water pact
By Kevin Woster, Rapid City Journal
June 13, 2006

A bill guaranteeing more water for Rapid City's future municipal needs is one step from the president's desk, after its approval Monday by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The House approved by unanimous consent the Pactola Reservoir Reallocation Act of 2005, a measure affirming an agreement reached last year giving the city almost 90 percent of the reservoir storage capacity for the next 25 years.

It is the first time the legislation, which has previously been approved by the Senate, has made it through the House. But after delays in that body, the bill was approved in March by the House Resources Committee. U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth, a member of the resources committee, carried the bill through committee hearings and spoke on its behalf Monday on the House floor.

Herseth said later in the day that the previous delays in House action on the bill made Monday's action even more noteworthy.

"This delay has made passage of this bill even more crucial, as Rapid City's population has continued to grow," Herseth said. "I'm pleased that we were able to pass it quickly through my committee and then through the full House."

Because of a slight difference between the Senate and House versions of the bill, the House version must be accepted by the Senate before it can be sent to President Bush, who is expected to sign the legislation.

The bill reflects an increasing demand for municipal and industrial water supplies in Rapid City and a decreasing demand for irrigation by the Rapid Valley Conservation District. The district, which represents about 60 irrigators along Rapid Creek east of the city, has seen a decline in demand for irrigation water as city expansion eliminated alfalfa fields and small grain fields. The district gave up long-standing water rights rather than face increased federal water rates for a decreasing number of irrigators.

The new agreement increases Rapid City's water rights from 14,500 acre feet of annual storage capacity in Pactola to 49,000 acre feet. The remaining 6,000 acre feet would be maintained by the federal Bureau of Reclamation for fish, wildlife and recreation needs.

Rapid City gets the bulk of its water from deep wells, but the city also relies on Rapid Creek flows during high-use periods from May through September.

By giving up rights to water stored in Pactola, the irrigation district will maintain a water right to natural flows down Rapid Creek. The district also maintains the right to water stored in Deerfield Reservoir and would be able, in periods of greater demand, to buy back some of the Pactola storage.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com

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