Big Sioux River

Tributaries

The Big Sioux River collects the Rock River from the northeast in Sioux County, Iowa. Broken Kettle Creek has its confluence with the Big Sioux in Plymouth County, Iowa.

Other creek tributaries include Peg Munky Run, North Deer, Sixmile, Skunk, Split Rock, Beaver, Brule, and Pipestone.

Pollution

The Big Sioux is South Dakota's most populated river basin. Agriculture is the primary use of land along most of the river's course. To comply with the Clean Water Act, the state monitors water quality of its rivers. Most of the Big Sioux north of Sioux Falls was scored well in 2012. Portions near Lake Kampeska and between Willow and Stray Horse Creeks (Codington and Hamlin counties) exceeded federally allowable levels of E. coli and fecal coliform bacteria. However, the Big Sioux south of Sioux Falls is much more polluted with E. coli, fecal coliform, and suspended solids. Several portions heavily restrict fishing or human contact, and swimming is banned.

Flood control

Between 1955 and 1961, an extensive flood control system was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along the Big Sioux and some of its tributaries in Sioux Falls to protect the city from a 100-year flood event. Features of the system include 29 mi of levees, a floodwall in downtown, and a 15000 ft diversion channel with a dam at one end and a 118 ft spillway at the other. Additionally, a greenway covers much of the river's floodplain in southern and eastern Sioux Falls, further mitigating any property damage from high water.

Flooding

The Big Sioux River experienced record-breaking flooding during the 2019 Midwestern U.S. floods.

The Big Sioux River Flood Information System was used to model flooding during the March 2019 bomb cyclone event.

The river overflowed its banks between September 12–15, 2019, flooding three blocks of Dell Rapids, South Dakota, and damaging up to a dozen homes. Interstate 90 was shut down between Mitchell and Sioux Falls.

The river once again flooded in 2024, resulting in at least one death and multiple destroyed homes, roads, and businesses, most notably in the McCook Lake area.

References

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References

1. Frank D. Amundson and Neil C. Koch. (1985). "Open-File Report". USGS.
2. "Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry".
3. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map] {{webarchive. link. (2012-03-29 , accessed March 30, 2011)
4. {{GNIS. 1253923. Big Sioux River
5. Federal Writers' Project. (1940). "South Dakota place-names, v.3". University of South Dakota.
6. (1924). "South Dakota Historical Collections Volume XII". Hipple Printing Company.
7. on a low plateau known as the [[Coteau des Prairies]] and flows generally southwardly through [[Grant County, South Dakota. Grant]], [[Codington County, South Dakota. Codington]], [[Hamlin County, South Dakota. Hamlin]], [[Brookings County, South Dakota. Brookings]], [[Moody County, South Dakota. Moody]], and [[Minnehaha County, South Dakota. Minnehaha]] counties, past the communities of [[Watertown, South Dakota. Watertown]], [[Castlewood, South Dakota. Castlewood]], [[Bruce, South Dakota. Bruce]], [[Flandreau, South Dakota. Flandreau]], [[Egan, South Dakota. Egan]], [[Trent, South Dakota. Trent]], [[Dell Rapids, South Dakota. Dell Rapids]], and [[Baltic, South Dakota. Baltic]] to [[Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Sioux Falls]], where it passes over a [[waterfall]] in [[Falls Park]], which gives that city its name. Downstream of Sioux Falls and the community of [[Brandon, South Dakota. Brandon]], the Big Sioux defines the boundary between South Dakota and Iowa, flowing along the eastern borders of [[Lincoln County, South Dakota. Lincoln]] and [[Union County, South Dakota. Union]] counties in South Dakota, and the western borders of [[Lyon County, Iowa. Lyon]], [[Sioux County, Iowa. Sioux]] and [[Plymouth County, Iowa. Plymouth]] counties in Iowa, past the communities of [[Canton, South Dakota. Canton]], [[Fairview, South Dakota. Fairview]], [[Hudson, South Dakota. Hudson]], [[Hawarden, Iowa. Hawarden]], [[North Sioux City, South Dakota. North Sioux City]], and [[Dakota Dunes, South Dakota. Dakota Dunes]] in South Dakota and [[Beloit, Iowa. Beloit]], [[Hawarden, Iowa. Hawarden]] and [[Akron, Iowa. 0-89933-214-5
8. [[DeLorme]] (2001). ''South Dakota Atlas & Gazetteer''. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. {{ISBN. 0-89933-330-3
9. [https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/uv/?site_no=06485950&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060 USGS station]
10. A minor [[River source. 1255756. Indian River
11. "2023 Big Sioux River Watershed Project — Segment 4 Amendment 2".
12. Andrews, John. (March 2013). "Can We Save the Big Sioux?". [[South Dakota Magazine]].
13. "Flood Control". City of Sioux Falls.
14. link. (2011-09-27 [[KELO-TV]]. March 15, 2010. (accessed April 19, 2010).)
15. (September 12, 2019). "Big Sioux River Flood Information System Sees Heavy Use During Spring 2019".
16. Sneve, Joe. (September 20, 2019). "Homes in Dell Rapids could be slated for demolition after floods".
17. (September 12, 2019). "Big Sioux River surpasses March's record-breaking flood levels, I-90 closed from Plankinton to Sioux Falls".
18. (July 2024). "Through mud and floodwaters, North Sioux City residents find light".