Mni Wiconi Rural Water Supply Project

To ensure a safe and adequate municipal, rural, and industrial water supply for the residents of the Pine Ridge Indian, Rosebud Indian, and Lower Brule Indian Reservations in South Dakota; to assist the citizens of Haakon, Jackson, Jones, Lyman, Mellette, Pennington, and Stanley Counties, South Dakota, to develop safe and adequate municipal, rural, and industrial water supplies; to promote the implementation of water conservation programs at these locations; to provide certain benefits to fish, wildlife, and the natural environment of South Dakota; and in consultation with the Oglala, Rosebud, and Lower Brule Sioux Tribes, to conduct feasibility studies on the need to develop water disposal facilities and systems and rehabilitate existing waste water disposal facilities and systems on the Pine Ridge, Rosebud, and Lower Brule Indian Reservations.

West River/Lyman-Jones Water Systems; the Oglala, Rosebud, and Lower Brule Sioux Tribes; and non-Federal entity or entities. Section 3(b) of Public Law 100-516 states “the Secretary, with the concurrence of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council, shall enter into agreements with the appropriate non-Federal entity or entities for planning, designing, constructing, operating, maintaining and replacing the Oglala Sioux Rural Water Supply System.”

The citizens of the southwest quarter of the State of South Dakota, including the Oglala, Rosebud, and Lower Brule Indian Reservations.

At the present time, program funding is limited to amendments of existing agreements. Amendments to incorporate annual work plans and budgets are negotiated annually.

Once the parties agree with their respective annual scopes of work and budgets, the Bureau of Reclamation's Missouri Basin Region finalizes the modifications. Responsibilities for needs assessments, feasibility and environmental studies, design, conservation measures and administration are to be included in agreements negotiated under this authority.