New threat to Big Sioux River among other sustainability focuses

Zebra mussels, an invasive, fingernail-sized mollusk, have made their way into the Big Sioux River, which is listed as impaired for the first time.

Their name comes from the dark, zig-zagged stripes on their shells, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. They have been in the Great Lakes region since the 1980s and can cause extensive damage to ecosystems.

“Zebra mussels are becoming more prevalent in water in South Dakota,” said Troy Lambert, an environmental analyst with the city of Sioux Falls.

They will be the focus of one of the keynote speakers at the Big Sioux River and Sustainability Summit, now in its 11th year, at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

“We are doing a panel discussion with three experts, including one from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources,” Lambert said. “Minnesota has been dealing with zebra mussels in their water for a lot longer than South Dakota, so we wanted to get a historical perspective from them.”

The summit offers a little something for everyone.

From how to attract pollinators to having a more energy-efficient home to soil conservation and water resources, the all-day summit Thursday, Dec. 7, seeks to bring residents and experts together to better understand how to improve and conserve the Big Sioux River and other sustainability initiatives in the region.

The event will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and no pre-registration is required. The zebra mussel discussion is at 3:30 p.m. The morning keynote on recycling and waste diversion is at 10:40 a.m. You can find a full schedule on the city’s website.

“We have been working a lot on improving our recycling program in the city,” said Holly Meier, sustainability coordinator with the city. “We want to see additional materials diverted from our landfill, which extends the life of our landfill.”

The morning keynote will talk about what is going into the landfill now, how to divert it and what the future looks like, she said.

The summit has two tracks: water and sustainability.

“In the sustainability track, we have all new speakers this year,” Meier said. “We have our urban forester to talk about why our urban canopy is important. And the city just received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support community forestry.”

There are discussions on local food, health care and sustainability and sustainable agriculture.

Lambert said the discussions are geared toward the general public, making them accessible to the community. “Then, you can expand on that as much as you want,” he said. “We’ve always prided ourselves on making this event open to everyone, no matter your background knowledge on the topic. It’s a very easy way to get up to speed on the current issues.”

Travis Entenman, managing director of Friends of the Big Sioux River, said the summit also provides a great opportunity to connect with leaders and talk with them.

Meier agrees. “There’s a lot of work going on to protect our water and to protect the sustainability of our region. This provides an opportunity to learn about all the work that’s happening.”

The event comes shortly after the launch of a group called the Sioux Falls Sustainability Coalition, which is encouraging strong action in the city around climate change and held a community conversation event over the weekend.

As development along the Big Sioux River continues to grow, it’s important to focus on the water, Lambert said.

“We want to make sure we are protecting that resource for all of its beneficial uses: recreation, the visual beauty of it or the source of our drinking water. We want to make sure those uses are preserved for future generations.”

Education is a big focus of Friends of the Big Sioux, Entenman said. It has a grant-funded program to educate students in grades K-12 about water quality, taking students on field trips to test water and looking at ecosystem species. They’ve taken about 100 students so far to test water.

He said teachers also are looking for this kind of information and how to tie into larger water quality science or biology or ecology at the local level. “It’s really encouraging to see.”

The organization also focuses on water testing with the state of South Dakota, advocacy at the legislative level and land-use education and advocacy.

“We try to balance the realistic issues of what’s happening with having hope that things can change,” said Entenman, who will present on the river and economic development at 9:10 a.m.

“The kids we’ve been speaking with are smarter than I am,” Entenman said with a laugh. “They are far more knowledgeable than I ever was at that age. It’s more top of mind for them because of climate change and the changing environment. When we speak in classrooms, they are really engaged.”