April 2018 | Volume 13, Issue 4 How Safe is Your Tap Water? EROSION: ONE OF THE GREATEST ISSUES FACING AMERICAN SOIL System Spotlight: FIRST OF ITs KIND AURORA BRULE SDSU'S NEW PRECISION RURAL WATER SYSTEM AGRICULTURE MAJOR MANAGER’S REPORT | AUDIT RECAP | YEARS OF SERVICE MILESTONES MANAGER’S REPORT JakeMatt FitzgeraldOedekoven, P.E. Manager, West River/Lyman-Jones RWS hope 2018 has started out well for everyone. 2017 was a busy year for WR/LJ BOARD OF DIRECTORS I Rural Water. Early summer hot and dry conditions pushed us to implement Dave Fuoss, Draper – President system-wide water conservation measures. The system sold 1,166,611,000 gallons Richard L. Doud, Midland – Vice President Dodie Garrity, Hayes – Sec./Treas. of water which is a record high for us. WR/LJ wells near Wall supplied 14% of the Paul Goldhammer, Wall total and the remaining 86% was furnished by the Mni Wiconi Water Treatment Kirk Cordes, Creighton Plant located north of Ft. Pierre. Because demands continue to increase year after Jim Schaefer, Kennebec year, the WR/LJ Board of Directors and I will continually explore potential options Veryl Prokop, Kadoka to increase source capacity, which would include additional well development and/ Casey Krogman, White River or surface water from the Missouri River. Brad Smith, Vivian Dean Nelson, Murdo We expect 2018 to be a busy year for us as well as we work on several operational Marion Matt, Philip – Liaison for West projects. The operations staff has recently installed two electric mixers in our River Water Development District Kadoka Rural and Badlands National Park Tanks. The submersible mixers we MURDO PROJECT OFFICE used are compact and were installed while the tanks were full and in service. Tank mixers help maintain water quality by thoroughly mixing the entire tank volume 307 Main Street PO Box 407 ...continued on page 14 Murdo, SD 57559 Jake Fitzgerald .................................Manager Amy Kittelson ....................... Office Manager Kati Venard .......................... Billing Secretary Brandon Kinsley................... O & M Foreman Ed Venard ..............................................O & M Steve Baker ............................................O & M Brian Flynn ............................................O & M Ph: 605-669-2931 or 1-800-851-2349 Fax : 605-669-3022 E-Mail Address: [email protected] PHILIP FIELD OFFICE PO Box 144 Philip, SD 57567 Mike Vetter ........................... O & M Foreman Eddie Dartt ............................................O & M John Kramer ..........................................O & M Nick Konst .............................................O & M Ph: 605-859-2829 • Fax: 605-859-2859 WR/LJ operator installing a tank mixer at the Badlands National Park STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION: In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@ usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. 2 | April 2018 AUTOMATED PHONE CALLS WR/LJ has started using an automated system to contact our members by phone, text or email with matters regarding your accounts. Some examples of these communications are notifications of planned outages, delinquent accounts, and disconnect for non-payment. 2017 AUDIT THANK YOU NOTES Casey Peterson and Associates of Rapid City, SD were Thank you for the dry/wet vacuum I got at your annual in Murdo on January 23nd – 25th to perform the meeting. A huge thank you for the great water. The water 2017 audit of financial records. L to R: Matt Mickley, makes our household and ranch a much better place to live. Zach Van Sambeek and Trait Thorne. The audit provides management and the board of directors Thank you! an independent opinion as to the accuracy and – Noel Henriksen, Draper accounting compliance of the financial statements. The auditors review the billing of accounts, accounting procedures, and check inventory on hand. The results of the audit will be presented to the Board of Directors WE’RE ON FACEBOOK! at a later date. West River/Lyman-Jones Rural Water now has a Facebook page. Just log into Facebook and search for ‘West River Lyman Jones Water System’ and like our page. We HOLIDAY will keep you updated on water CLOSINGS outages and system news. Please do not use Facebook to In observance of the following holidays, report any emergencies. WR/LJ Rural Water offices will be closed on the following days: March 30 (afternoon) – Good Friday FREE SERVICE May 28 – Memorial Day WR/LJ provides 2 free trips each calendar year to In case of an emergency, please call the Murdo shut off/ turn on water at locations that will not be in use for a period of time. Please give advance notice area at 530-0932 or the Philip area at 530-1136 by calling the main office in Murdo a couple days for assistance. prior, so our field staff can make arrangements. Visit us online at: www.wrlj.com April 2018 | 3 APRIL JUNE 6-7 – JACKRABBIT STAMPEDE RODEO 1-3 – LAKE ANDES FISH DAYS The Jackrabbit Stampede is a National Intercollegiate Rodeo Kick off your summer with a weekend of family fun this June in Association approved rodeo that holds all the standard Lake Andes. Fish Days hosts the DC Lynch Carnival all three college rodeo events; Bareback Riding, Breakaway Roping, days, as well as lawn mower races, dart tournament, parade, Tie Down Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Steer Wrestling, Goat kids games, fish fry, street dance, motorcycle blessing and Tying, Team Roping, Barrel Racing and Bull Riding. more. Check out our Facebook page for future updates (Lake www.sdstate.edu/jackrabbit-stampede Andes Fish Days). https://fishdays.wixsite.com/lakeandes 7-10 – SOUTH DAKOTA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL The South Dakota Shakespeare Festival features world-class MAY actors performing classic plays by William Shakespeare every 5 – FRÜHLINGSFEST AND SPRING MARKET June in the unique outdoor setting of Vermillion's Prentis Park. Sample a wide selection of craft beer from local and national Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy this family friendly event. Free breweries, while browsing dozens of local artisan booths Will donation. www.sdshakespearefestival.org and taking in live music at Main Street Square's fifth annual Frühlingsfest & Spring Market, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, May 5, in Downtown Rapid City. The event is open 9-10 – SIOUXLAND RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL to all ages. IDs are required to consume alcohol. http:// Come one, come all goode lords and ladies, merchants, mainstreetsquarerc.com/concerts-and-festivals/fruhlingsfest- yeomen, players, musicians, and peasants. Let us present to and-spring-market.html you the Siouxland Renaissance Festival! Here you can travel back in time to the glorious reign of Queen Elizabeth I. See the 18-20 – STATE PARKS OPEN HOUSE AND FREE FISHING sights, hear the sounds, and taste the food. Learn what it was WEEKEND like to live over 400 years ago as you take part in our historically The annual Open House Weekend includes free entrance to all flavored festival. The festival takes place on the grounds of the South Dakota state parks. (Camping fees do apply.) A number Sioux Empire Fairgrounds/W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds in Sioux Falls. of parks will also host special events to kick off the summer $10 for adults (13-65), $5 for seniors (65+) and children (4-12), and it is free fishing weekend, so licenses are not required. and free for children 3 and under. https://gfp.sd.gov/events/ 16-17 – SOUTH DAKOTA PEACH FESTIVAL 25-27 – SOUTH DAKOTA KAYAK CHALLENGE The annual South Dakota Peach Festival is two fun-filled days of Racers of the South Dakota Kayak Challenge face 72 miles of live music, activities, vendors and delicious foods. Enjoy fresh wind and waves on the Missouri River between Yankton peaches from the Georgia orchards and eat your way through and South Sioux City, Nebraska. Most of the course is in the the weekend tasting all things peach. This free event is sure to National Park Service’s Missouri National Recreational River, pack your Father’s Day weekend with fun for the whole family a unique waterway that is the only NPS property that holds at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds in Sioux Falls. Hours are 10 the designations of Wild and Scenic River, National Park a.m.-11 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m.