PIERRE — A state program that pays landowners to plant and maintain strips of vegetation along streams has grown to 130 projects covering 379 miles of shoreline and 3,984 acres after recent legislative funding, officials said Friday.
What the program does and how it works
The Riparian Buffer Initiative, administered by the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, compensates landowners who establish grassy buffers along qualified waterways. The aim is to reduce erosion, filter pollutants before they reach rivers and lakes, and improve habitat while allowing continued agricultural use.
“It’s not a land retirement program,” said Dan Nelson, a private lands habitat biologist with the department. He described it as a “working buffer” program.
Nelson told the Game, Fish and Parks Commission that enrolled acres are part of contracts that run for 10 years. Buffers must be at least 50 feet wide. Landowners agree to keep cattle off enrolled areas from May 1 to Sept. 30 and are restricted from mowing or baling hay from May 1 to Aug. 1.
Where the projects are
Most projects lie in the Big Sioux River watershed, an area of particular focus because the Big Sioux flows through Sioux Falls and carries agricultural runoff. The department reported buffers established along 118 streams and 19 lakes. Nelson said interest remains strong and that many projects are still awaiting approval.
- Program start: 2021 (legislatively created, voluntary)
- Current projects: 130
- Shoreline miles protected: 379
- Enrolled acres: 3,984
Payments and enrollment trends
Enrollment increased notably after the Legislature approved an additional $8 million to expand the program. The state now pays landowners 250% of a county’s average one-year farmland rental rate per acre, and the full 10-year payment is made up front to help cover establishment costs.
That more generous payment structure followed a slow start: by late 2024 there were only 35 projects. Officials said the larger payouts and the upfront nature of the contract payments helped accelerate enrollment.
| Measure | Current total |
|---|---|
| Projects | 130 |
| Shoreline miles | 379 |
| Acreage enrolled | 3,984 |
| Streams | 118 |
| Lakes | 19 |
During the commission meeting, Nelson highlighted examples showing how buffers prevent severe erosion when ground previously held in conservation returns to row-crop production. He described instances of deep ravines carved by runoff where buffers had not been in place.
Officials did not provide annual enrollment figures at the meeting but emphasized continued landowner interest. The program remains voluntary and structured to allow agricultural activity outside the restricted months while establishing permanent vegetation during the growing season.
As the state expands its financial commitment, conservation leaders and farmers will watch whether the program sustains momentum and reduces nutrient and sediment loads moving into South Dakota’s rivers and lakes.
