8 Broadcaster Press July 12, 2016 www.broadcasteronline.com The State Board Grants State Board Grants Water Happiest Some Water Rights Well Permit For Limestone Man On In Hanson, Custer Quarry Near Rapid City Earth By Bob Mercer, State Capitol Bureau PIERRE – The city of Custer can build a larger version of its local dam and the Rockport Hutterian Brethren get new irrigation rights from the James River that previously belonged to the city of Huron, the state Water Management Board decided Wednesday. The state board cancelled 14 water-rights permits because of discontinued use by landowners in different parts of South Dakota, including one dating to 1907 for a hydro-electric dam at Dell Rapids on the Big Sioux River whose works are now rubble. Those 14 included two permits relinquished by the city of Huron. That freed enough water in the James River for the Rockport brethren to receive two irrigation permits that the state board deferred in spring 2015 because the river was nearly fully appropriated. The board observes a maximum appropriation of 300 cubic-feet per second from the James River in South Dakota between the North Dakota border and the Hutchinson-Yankton counties line. The Rockport brethren’s two applications totaled 8.31 cubic-feet per second from the James River in Hanson County. That amount was met by the Huron cancellations and 1.71 cubic-feet per second that hadn’t been appropriated that total 8.55 cfs. The state board also decided to allow the Huron Hutterian Brethren irrigate an additional 50 acres from the James River without a change in the organization’s water rights. The Huron brethren’s operation is about 15 miles north of Huron. Changes to the irrigation system make the additional acres possible to reach. Lynn Beck, a staff engineer for the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said there have been 12 shut-off orders on the James River since 1965 for insufficient flows. Reconstruction of the Custer West Dam, which has water rights on French Creek dating to 1943, didn’t receive any opposition. The city wants to more than double the dam’s capacity size as part of replacing the dam and the outlet structures. Mayor Jared Carson testified, telling the state board the dam has been “a cornerstone” for fishing, recreation, swimming lessons and fire protection, including for fighting the Jasper forest fire in 2000. Having the additional 47.5 acre-feet of water “would be critical” for fire protection, Carson said. He said there’s been “a huge amount of public support” throughout the wider Custerarea community. He wants the dam rebuilt as a protection for the community during the next 50 to 100 years. The second witness was Banner Associates consulting engineer David LaFrance from Rapid City, who said he is trained in dam construction and hydraulics. Replying to a state board member, LaFrance acknowledged said the facility’s capacity is “quite small” for the drainage area. “It’s kind of inconsequential. There’s not a whole lot of flood mitigation associated with this facility,” he said. Currently the dam is approximately 20 feet high. He said it would be rebuilt at 13 feet, but the basin’s capacity would more than double to 77.5 acre feet because the bottom will be lowered. The state Game, Fish and Parks Department holds a water right to 400 acre-feet for Stockade Lake that is downstream on French Creek. GFP officials didn’t object to the Custer city dam’s expansion. Individual Margarita Pizzas 4 good quality pitas 1 large, very fresh tomato A bunch of fresh basil Olive oil One ball of fresh mozzarella Preheat oven to 450o (with a pizza stone if you have one). Cut the tomato in half at the equator. Gently squeeze out the seeds and jelly. Slice tomato into ¼” Amy Schweinle slices. Wash and thoroughly dry the basil. Slice mozzarella into ¼” to 1/8” slices. If desired, rub a raw garlic clove over the top of each pita. Brush olive oil across each pita. Spread basil leaves flat on pita. I usually use 4 large leaves per pita. Alternate sliced tomatoes and mozzarella across pita, overlapping each. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on hot pizza stone or baking sheet. Cook 10 minutes or until cheese is lightly melted and starting to brown on edges. Remove. Sit for 5 minutes. Slice each into 4 pieces and eat. Garnish with fresh basil, red pepper flakes, and/or a drizzle of olive oil. Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup 2 butternut squashes, peeled, seeds removed, chopped into 1 inch pieces (can substitute pie pumpkin) 1 medium onion, chopped Olive oil 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (an additional 2 cups in reserve, if needed) 3 Tbsp ground fresh ginger root 3-6 garlic cloves 1 bay leaf Salt and pepper Preheat oven to 400o. Coat squash with olive oil. Spread in single layer on baking sheets. Roast until tender, turning at least once, about 30 minutes or more depending on size of chop. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp oil in saute pan until shimmering. Add onion. Saute until translucent. Add mashed garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add squash, onion and garlic to stock pot. Add broth. Bring to a boil. Add ginger and bay leaf. Simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Remove from heat and let sit until warm but not hot. Discard bay leaf. Work in batches to transfer soup to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add more broth if needed for the right consistency. Return to heat and boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. I make a large batch and freeze it in family-sized servings for quick meals on busy nights. If you or someone you know would like to be featured in Cook’s Corner please contact micki.schievelbein@yankton.net www.broadcasteronline.com | 605-624-4429 201 W. Cherry Street | Vermillion, SD By Daris Howard By Bob Mercer. State Capitol Bureau My daughter, Trissa, is a band and choir teacher for a small school district in Idaho. She and her students had worked hard, and they had earned the money to go to Disneyland. The students excitedly boarded the bus for their journey, and away they went. The trip, as it usually does with a lot of excited students, included stops at almost every out-of-the-way place that had any semblance of a restroom. They were out on a long stretch of road across the California desert, and Trissa was looking forward to getting to the hotel for a much needed rest, when the all too familiar information was passed to the front of the bus that someone needed to use the bathroom. “Here?” Trissa asked. “In the middle of the desert?” The bus driver rolled her eyes. “Maybe we can just pull over and the person with the small bladder can water a cactus.” Perhaps if the bus hadn’t been co-ed that might have been a good plan, but instead they started looking for a place to pull off that might have a bathroom. Finally a sign appeared that said there was a town only a half mile off of the highway that had “services.” The bus driver reluctantly pulled the bus onto the twolane road that looked like it headed into the middle of nowhere. They followed it for a half mile and came to an old gas station with a couple of small shops. One was a hat shop. Trissa thought it was strange to have a hat shop in the middle of nowhere, so while the students lined up at the bathrooms and purchased pop and candy, she went to the hat store. She wandered in and found hats of all types and sizes. She eventually found the store owner. She visited with him for a minute and found him to be about the happiest person she had ever met. She wondered how he could be so happy. She was the only one in the store, and he obviously wasn’t selling a lot of hats. “You seem so happy,” Trissa said to him. “Why?” He laughed. “Why should I not be happy? I live in greatest country on earth.” “Did you live somewhere else previously?” she asked. He nodded. “This remind me of it. That why stay here.” “So why did you leave?” Trissa asked. “You must have liked it if you settled in a similar place.” “The country where I live not free,” he replied. “Government take away much. But when coming to take away family, I sell all I have and come to America. I have nothing left, but family safe, and we now American citizens.” David Lias/For The Plain Talk “What country was it that Matthew Moore, a member of the Vermillion Fire/EMS Department, watches as young boys line up for a chance to hit a target and have him splash in a dunk tank. The Vermillion Fire/EMS you are from?” Trissa asked. He shook his head. “It no Department and the Rural Firefighters Association offered an afternoon of family fun for the matter. I not citizen of that public at Barstow Park on July 4. country. I American. It now my country, and I have no Broadcaster Press other country.” “But you sold everything you had,” Trissa said. “You can’t make much selling hats roadcaster 201 W Cherry, Vermillion here.” ress “It no matter,” he replied. “I make little, raise food, and feed family. But most important, I still have family and be free. That more important than all things sold to come here.” Trissa found a pretty white summer hat and purchased it. She wore it out into the hot sun, and all of her students gathered around. “Where did you get the awesome hat?” one girl asked. “From the happiest man on earth,” Trissa replied. “Maybe you should see if he has one you would like.” The man sold lots of hats that day, but Trissa knew the money was not the thing that made him the happiest. His family and freedom were. PIERRE – The state Water Management Board approved a well permit Thursday for the Croell Redi Mix limestone-mining site along U.S. 16 south of Rapid City despite objections from some neighbors. Chairman Jim Hutmacher of Oacoma said DENR would shut off the well if problems arise. The four-hour hearing boiled down to different perspectives from Ken Buhler, an analyst for the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Arden Davis, a retired professor at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. “We are not mining the aquifer. We are not de-watering the aquifer,” Ann Mines-Bailly, a lawyer representing the department, said. The opponents’ lawyer, Michael Hickey, said the company’s request for 19.6 acre-feet of water annually from the Deadwood aquifer was based on speculation and said Buhler’s emphasis on the complete aquifer was a “distortion.” Hickey asked the board to require the company to supply a report on the volume of water and the quality of the water. He predicted the Bear Country well that is 1,742 feet away would be drawn down. Buhler testified that withdrawals for wells don’t appear to have any significant effect on the Deadwood aquifer’s volume. He said climate has a documented effect. Davis testified there should be a test well so that data can be gathered about possible effects on other wells in the area. Davis said the Deadwood aquifer in the area recharges through an exposed formation near the Stratosphere Bowl. A company official tried to explain how he arrived at the request for the 19.6 acre-feet. that is more than all other wells combined from the Deadwood aquifer in the area. “As far as number pulled out of the air, I don’t think they were pulled from the air,” board member Rodney Freeman of Huron said. The board placed qualifications in the permit requiring the company report to the state’s chief water engineer the volume of water pumped each year and allowing for the well to be restricted or shut off if other wells are shown to be affected. “I think protection for the landowners is there,” Freeman said. Board member Tim Bjork of Pierre said he had trouble determining how much water the company needs for dust control and limestone grinding. Bjork said talk about radon and radium in the water probably doesn’t fall within the board’s role. “We have not done that in years past,” Bjork said. The vote was 5-1. Bjork cast the nay. Board member Leo Holzbauer of Wagner said everybody could know from the annual report how much water is being used by the company. Board member Chad Comes of Madison said he was satisfied. bp Since 1934 bp B Since 1934 P 624-4429 Communicate in color with our high-quality and highly affordable, four-color printing services. Let our friendly, helpful staff get your job done quickly and easily. 201 W. Cherry St. Vermillion 605-624-4429 Tell them you saw it in the Broadcaster!