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require closure of litigation over the recreational use of nonmeandered waters.

SB 126 ends ongoing court cases about whether the public can recreate on non-meandered waters (bodies of water that don't naturally flow) that sit on private property. The bill closes litigation over this issue by having the Legislature declare that it has already balanced public recreational rights with private property owners' rights through earlier legislation, preventing further legal battles on the matter.

prohibit the use of cyanide for the purpose of mining for gold and silver.

# HB 1150 Summary South Dakota would ban the use of cyanide in gold and silver mining operations. This new restriction would prevent mining companies from using cyanide-based extraction methods, which are commonly used to separate gold and silver from ore but pose environmental and health risks.

create the ARPA water and environment fund, create a subfund, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota creates a new special fund called the ARPA Water and Environment Fund to hold federal pandemic relief money for water projects, and immediately sets aside $10 million for the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources to provide grants for studying and building a waterline from the Missouri River to western South Dakota. Any money not spent or committed by the end of 2024 must be returned according to state budget rules.

require an annual report on nonmeandered waters.

South Dakota's Department of Game, Fish and Parks must now submit an annual report by September 1st each year (instead of a one-time report by June 2019) on nonmeandered lakes—including data on public access acres, landowner agreements, failed negotiations, and violations. The Legislature's Executive Board must then hold public hearings to discuss the report and hear from both landowners and recreational users about these waters.

revise certain provisions regarding utility facilities and revenue bonds.

This bill updates South Dakota's water district borrowing rules to clarify that districts can issue revenue bonds and other debt instruments that are repaid solely from the district's operating revenues, with specific reference to state bonding procedures. The bill also confirms that water districts can pledge their property and assets as collateral when borrowing from federal agencies, the state, or private lenders to secure loans.

make appropriations from the water and environment fund and its revolving fund subfunds for various water and environmental purposes and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota is appropriating $1.27 million from its water and environment fund to support two specific water projects: $1.02 million for groundwater studies in the Black Hills and Sioux Falls regions (including drilling new observation wells), and $249,727 for a flood control feasibility study of the Big Sioux River near Watertown. The bill declares this spending an emergency, meaning the funds are available immediately rather than waiting for the normal budget cycle.

authorize the Board of Regents to acquire the incubator building located on the campus of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, to contract for the design and renovation thereof, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency.

The Board of Regents is authorized to purchase an incubator building currently located on the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology campus, and to contract for its design and renovation. The bill appropriates state funding for this acquisition and renovation project and declares the matter an emergency, allowing it to take effect immediately rather than waiting for the standard delayed effective date.

require the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources to assemble a task force to study the adoption of a watershed ecosystems management approach.

SB 181 requires the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources to create a task force that will study whether South Dakota should adopt a watershed ecosystems management approach for managing natural resources. The task force will examine how this approach could improve water quality and ecosystem health across the state's watersheds.

revise provisions regarding sanitary improvement districts.

HB1219 makes it easier to create sanitary improvement districts by removing the requirement that a district must have at least 30 residents and 10 registered voter landowners. The bill also allows districts to be incorporated without a public election if the applicants own all the land in the proposed district, rather than always requiring voter approval.

appropriate funds to reconstruct Custer West Dam and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota is giving the City of Custer $2,000,000 from the state's general fund to rebuild Custer West Dam. The money must be spent or committed by June 30, 2026, or it will be returned to the state. The bill declares an emergency so the funding takes effect immediately rather than waiting for the normal budget cycle.

revise provisions regarding soil health in resource conservation and forestry and conservation districts.

HB 1316 updates South Dakota's soil conservation policy to explicitly include "soil health" and "watershed health" as key goals alongside the existing focus on erosion control and flood prevention. The bill clarifies that resource conservation and forestry districts work toward restoring and improving soil quality, not just preventing damage. These changes align the state's conservation mission with modern practices that emphasize building healthier soils rather than only addressing problems after they occur.

establish a process for the abandonment of certain pipelines.

SB204 creates a formal process for abandoning oil, gas, and carbon dioxide pipelines in South Dakota by defining a pipeline as "abandoned" if it hasn't transported materials for five consecutive years and requiring pipeline owners to notify affected landowners within 30 days of abandonment. The notification must include the pipeline owner's contact information, easement location, abandonment date, and inform landowners of their right to reclaim full use of their property once the pipeline is abandoned.