South Dakota Geography: Land, Rivers & Climate - A Comprehensive Overview

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Introduction to Geography of South Dakota

South Dakota, a state in the north-central United States. It is roughly rectangular in shape and occupies more than 77,000 square miles (nearly 200,000 km 2)of the prairies and plains that lie between the Great Lakes and the Rockies. Along its borders are six states: North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota. Across its midsection flows the broad Missouri River, which divides the state into two parts, called East River and West River by South Dakotans. The geographical center of the United States is in Butte County, near the Montana and Wyoming borders.

Unlike many states, South Dakota is still a land of small towns and few cities, of large farms and ranches, and of wide-open spaces resembling those found by the early homesteaders. It is still the home of most of the Sioux Indians, whose exploits and battles under such chiefs as Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and Red Cloud are part of the history of the state.

South Dakota is also the land of the Black Hills, where Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Deadwood Dick, and other legendary characters were part of a wild gold rush era that began in the 1870's. Some of the flavor of those days is preserved in the Black Hills, especially in the city of Deadwood. The Black Hills region, and probably the entire state, is best known, however, for Mount Rushmore, a national memorial featuring the granite-sculptured faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.

South Dakota's state bird is the ring-necked pheasant.

Physical Geography

South Dakota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States.Land

South Dakota consists of three major regions—the Prairie, the Great Plains, and the Black Hills.

The Prairie, which is part of a large physiographic province of the United States known as the Central Lowlands, extends westward almost to the Missouri River. All of it was covered by glaciers during the last Ice Age and owes its present appearance mainly to glacial deposits and to subsequent erosion. Flat to gently rolling land prevails, except in a somewhat hilly belt of glacial debris, known as the Prairie Coteau, or the Prairie Hills. The James River Valley, just west of the coteau, is exceptionally flat terrain, especially the northern part, which occupies the bed of an old glacial lake. Equally flat is the low-lying valley containing Lake Traverse and Big Stone Lake in the northeastern corner of the state. The surface of Big Stone Lake, at 966 feet (294 m) above sea level, is the lowest elevation in the state.

The Great Plains extend westward from the Missouri Coteau, or the Missouri Hills, a belt of moraines and other debris left by glaciers. The coteau marks the farthest advance of the ice into the state. Elevations here are about the same as those in the Prairie Coteau. Beyond the Missouri River lies the unglaciated section of South Dakota's Great Plains. In many areas the land stretches westward as gradually rising, flat to undulating terrain. Elsewhere, it has been eroded into deep valleys and intricately carved canyons and badlands with narrow ravines and high-rising spires. Most spectacular are the badlands of the southwest, a portion of which is preserved as a national park. There are also scattered mesas and buttes throughout the plains, which further vary the landscape.

The Black Hills, in the southwest, consist of rough, heavily forested mountains geologically similar to the Rockies. They rise as much as 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above the general level of the plains, reaching 7,242 feet (2,207 m) above sea level at Harney Peak, highest point in the state.

Water

The Missouri is the chief river of South Dakota. Together with many tributaries, it drains virtually the entire state. The Missouri flows in a somewhat southeasterly course through the center of the state, then easterly along the Nebraska–South Dakota border. From the west, it receives the waters of five major tributaries: the Grand, Moreau, Cheyenne, Bad, and White rivers. Eastern South Dakota is drained primarily by the Big Sioux and James rivers, both of which are southerly flowing tributaries of the Missouri. Though much shorter, the Vermillion, in the southeast, is also a significant river.

Only the northeastern corner of the state lies outside the Missouri drainage basin. There the water of Lake Traverse drains northward to Hudson Bay, while that of Big Stone Lake drains eastward to the Minnesota River and eventually to the Gulf of Mexico. The drainage divide between the two lakes is very poorly defined.

All of South Dakota's large lakes—Oahe, Sharpe, Francis Case, and Lewis and Clark—are reservoirs created by dams built on the Missouri River during the 1950's and 60's. Of the four, Oahe is by far the largest. Besides controlling floods, the dams provide hydroelectric power, water for irrigation, and numerous recreational facilities. Small glacially created lakes dot parts of eastern South Dakota, particularly the Prairie Coteau. There are also artesian sources of water in the east and hot springs in the Black Hills.

Climate

Because of its central location in North America, far from any tempering influence of the ocean, South Dakota has a continental climate marked by great extremes in the weather. Winters are long and cold, with frequent readings below 0° F. (-18° C.). January is the coldest month, averaging between 10° and 20° F. (-12° and -7° C.) throughout most of the state. Summer daytime temperatures often rise to 100° F. (38° C.) or more. The hottest month, July, averages 72° to 75° F. (22° to 24° C.), with the Black Hills somewhat cooler.

Except for the Black Hills and the extreme southeastern corner of the state, which receive about 25 inches (635 mm) of moisture each year, South Dakota gets meager amounts of precipitation. It decreases from about 20 inches (510 mm) annually in the east to about 13 inches (330 mm) in the northwest, where semiarid conditions prevail. The total amount is highly variable from year to year, and serious droughts periodically occur. Normally, most of the precipitation comes as rain from April to September, which corresponds roughly to the crop growing season. Snows are usually light, but tend to accumulate to considerable depths during the long, cold winter. Blizzards occasionally occur.

VegetationSouth Dakota's state flower is the pasqueflower.

The natural vegetation of South Dakota consists primarily of grasses—tall grass on the prairies and short grass, often widely dispersed, on the Great Plains. The boundary between the two is roughly the Missouri River. Much of the natural vegetation, however, particularly in the east, has been destroyed since the introduction of farming in the late 1800's.

Forests are confined primarily to the Black Hills, where ponderosa pine, white spruce, and other conifers predominate. Elsewhere, there are scattered areas of cedar in the west and stands of cottonwood, oak, and other hardwoods along the rivers and streams and around the margins of lakes.

Interesting facts about South DakotaSouth Dakota was either the 39th or 40th state, but no one will ever know for certain where it fits in the order of admission. In 1889, when both North and South Dakota were ready to be admitted into the Union, President Benjamin Harrison shuffled the admission papers so that one state could not claim precedence over the other. Today, the two states are ranked alphabetically, making North Dakota the 39th state and South Dakota the 40th.The geographic center of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, is located in western South Dakota, 17 miles (27 kilometers) west of Castle Rock.The world's largest natural indoor warm-water pool, called Evans Plunge, is located in Hot Springs.Experiments with buffaloes and Brahman cattle conducted in Belle Fourche have resulted in the breeding of an unusual new animal, the brahmalo.South Dakota has more buffaloes than any other state in the United States. Privately owned and publicly owned herds in the state include thousands of buffaloes.South Dakota's state tree is the Black Hills spruce.

Economy

The South Dakota quarter features an image of Mount Rushmore. The Mount Rushmore National Memorial rises in the Black Hills, in the western part of the state.

Few other states depend as heavily on farming as does South Dakota, where agriculture has been an economic mainstay since the founding of the state. Even the cities are indirectly dependent on farming, for they serve primarily as trade centers for rural areas and as processing centers for farm products. But today, service industries contribute the most to South Dakota's economy. Sioux Falls is an important financial center. Tourism is also a significant economic activity. Several million visitors are attracted to South Dakota each year, primarily to the Black Hills and the Badlands.

Service Industries

Service industries are concentrated in the state's largest cities. Finance, insurance, and real estate form South Dakota's leading service industry group. Ranking second is community, business, and personal services. This group consists of a variety of businesses, including private health care, law firms, and motels. Two of the largest Indian reservations in the United States are in South Dakota.

Agriculture

Virtually the entire state is classed as farmland, which includes crop and grazing land. In general, the western part is used largely for the grazing of livestock, mainly because of limited moisture and rougher terrain. The eastern part combines the raising of livestock with the growing of crops, for it contains almost all the arable land.

Approximately 60 per cent of all farm income is derived from livestock, mainly beef cattle, hogs, lambs, and sheep. Many beef cattle are raised on the rangeland of the west. Most of the feedlots, in which cattle are fattened for market, are in the east. South Dakota is also a leader in wool prouction.

Corn, wheat, and soybeans are the most valuable and widely grown crops. Much of the corn and virtually all the hay are used primarily for feeding livestock. Wheat is grown in most of the state. Other important crops grown in South Dakota are oats and flax.

Manufacturing

Computer and electronic products and processed foods are South Dakota's leading type of manufactured products. Meat processing and packing is the most important food-processing industry in South Dakota. Also significant are printing and publishing and the making of machinery, fabricated metal products, wood products, and cement. The chief manufacturing center is Sioux Falls. Other centers include Rapid City, Mitchell, Aberdeen, and Watertown.

Mining

South Dakota's most important mined products include granite, cement, crushed stone, sand and gravel, petroleum, and natural gas. Until the Homestake mine at Lead closed in 2001, South Dakota had been one of the largest gold-producing states in the United States.

Transportation

South Dakota's roads and highways in most areas are laid out in a roughly rectangular pattern. One Interstate highway (I–29) runs north-south through the eastern part of the state; another (I–90), east-west through the south.

The railway network is used exclusively for freight. Sioux Falls has the largest airport in South Dakota.

The People

Many South Dakotans are descended from families that came to the United States from northern and central Europe during the second half of the 19th century. Scandinavians were the first and largest immigrant group to settle in the state. They were followed by Germans, Czechs, and Dutch. Settlers also came from other parts of the United States and Canada. In 1890 about one-third of the population of South Dakota was foreign-born. There was no significant immigration to the state during the heavy influx to the United States from eastern and southeastern Europe after 1890.

The American Indian population (almost all Sioux) numbers more than 50,000. Most live on reservations.

Lutherans make up the largest religious group, followed by Roman Catholics, Methodists, Congregationalists, and Presbyterians.

Annual events in South DakotaJanuary-JulyBlack Hills Stock Show and Rodeo in Rapid City (January-February); Black Hills Horse Expo in Rapid City (April); Schmeckfest in Freeman (April); New Frontier Bull Ride in Presho (May); Sioux Empire Ribfest in Sioux Falls (June); Fort Sisseton Historical Festival at Fort Sisseton State Park (July); Mount Rushmore Independence Day Celebration in Keystone (July); Days of ‘76 in Deadwood (July).August-DecemberSturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis (August); Riverboat Days in Yankton (August); Oak Lake Bluegrass Jamboree in Astoria (August); Great Dakota Wine Fest in Vermillion (September); Spirit of the West Festival in Sioux Falls (September); Black Hills Pow Wow in Rapid City (October); Capitol Christmas in Pierre (November-December).Population

According to the 2000 census, South Dakota ranked 46th in population among the states. The population density was 9.9 persons per square mile (3.8 per km 2 ). Whites made up 88.7 per cent of the population and Indians, mainly Sioux, most of the rest.

Almost three-fourths of all South Dakotans lived in the eastern half of the state, where the best farmland and most of the larger cities are located. In the west the only notable concentration was in the northern part of the Black Hills, especially the Rapid City area. South Dakota has one of the nation's highest percentages of rural population.

Education

The secretary of the department of education and cultural affairs, appointed by the governor, heads the public school system. Members of the state board of education are appointed by the governor for four-year terms. Many Indian children attend public schools; others attend schools operated by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. School attendance is compulsory for children from 6 to 16 years of age.

The first school in South Dakota was opened in Fort Randall in 1857. The territorial legislature established a public school system in 1862 and appointed the first superintendent of public instruction in 1864. A compulsory attendance law was enacted in 1883.

South Dakota State University was established at Brookings in 1881 as the Agricultural College of South Dakota and opened in 1884. The name was changed to South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1907. The college was reorganized as a university and the present name was adopted in 1964. The University of South Dakota was established at Vermillion in 1862 as the University of Dakota and opened in 1882. Its present name was adopted in 1891.

Government

South Dakota's State Capitol is in Pierre, the capital since South Dakota gained statehood in 1889.

South Dakota is governed under its original constitution, adopted in 1889 and amended a number of times.

The governor, elected to a four-year term, is limited to two consecutive terms. Other executive officers—all elected to four-year terms—include the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, auditor, and commissioner of school and public lands.

The state legislature meets annually. It consists of the Senate of 35 members and the House of Representatives of 70 members. Members of both houses are elected for two-year terms.

South Dakota's judicial system includes a supreme court, circuit courts, and lower courts. Justices of the supreme court are appointed by the governor and later run for retention; circuit court judges are elected.

South Dakota is divided into 66 counties. The state is represented in the U.S. Congress by two senators and one representative.