Groundwater recharge requirement wins legislative committee’s approval

Groundwater recharge requirement wins legislative committee’s approval

Rep. Scott Odenbach, R-Spearfish, testifies in favor of a bill before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee at the South Dakota Capitol in Pierre on Jan. 29, 2026. (Photo by Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)PIERRE — A committee of South Dakota lawmakers advanced a bill Thursday that would tighten state limits on groundwater withdrawals by eliminating an exception for some deep aquifers used by public water systems. The bill,…