A conservation easement program along the Big Sioux River is moving into Minnehaha County.

The program has been popular in Hamlin County, where seven easements are in place and several others are waiting to be processed. Now, a Renner couple has become the first in Minnehaha
County to grant an easement.

The easements are aimed at protecting the shoreline and improving water quality along the Big Sioux. Landowners are paid to limit certain uses of the land such as crop tillage and to prevent livestock from having access to the river. The easements are limited to a strip of land that is about 100 feet wide.

The voluntary program uses federal money distributed by the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The East Dakota Water Development District is the primary sponsor for the Big Sioux Watershed.

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