RAPID CITY, S.D. – Rapid City will continue mandatory water conservation measures year-round after officials raised Pactola Reservoir’s storage condition from “concern” to “alert” status due to critically low inflows.
City Water Superintendent Eric Boyda said the decision is based on the amount of water flowing into Pactola, not the reservoir’s current water level. August inflows have averaged just 18.5 cubic feet per second, well below the historical average of 50 cfs, while July inflows were only 30 percent of normal. Officials say extreme drought conditions in the upper watershed continue despite recent rainfall in Rapid City.
The extension means the city’s odd-even lawn watering schedule will remain in effect beyond the Sept. 30 deadline. Outdoor watering is prohibited between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., odd-numbered addresses may water on odd-numbered days, even-numbered addresses on even-numbered days, and no outside watering is allowed on the 31st day of any month.
Despite the restrictions, city and federal officials stressed there is no immediate water supply crisis. Pactola Reservoir is about 74 percent full and Deerfield Reservoir is at 92 percent capacity, providing multiple years of surface water storage.
City officials say the restrictions will remain in place until inflows show a sustained improvement, which may depend on future snowfall and runoff conditions.
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