Friends of the Big Sioux River

Friends of the Big Sioux River is a water advocacy nonprofit on a mission to protect and restore the Big Sioux River and its watershed, improve the water quality, and educate our community to build a conservation ethic. Community involvement is critical to achieving our vision, and FBSR seeks win-win solutions through strong partnerships and coalitions with all parts of the community, government, and stakeholders.

At Friends of the Big Sioux River, we have four main focus areas. They are as follows:

1. Water Quality Monitoring: Between May and September every year, we conduct weekly water testing throughout the watershed, which provides the public with up-to-date water quality data. We also use the data to inform communities and policymakers about the harmful effects of high contaminant levels.
2. Advocacy: We advocate for conservation and water quality on behalf of the constituents in our watershed at city and state levels. It is our goal to become a meaningful resource for lawmakers and policymakers and to help influence laws and regulations that strengthen or create protections and enhancements regarding water quality.
3. Community Education: We engage thousands of residents of all ages in meaningful education, where participants learn about river issues through classroom instruction and hands-on experiences. We firmly believe that a more informed watershed community is a stronger, more engaged community.
4. River Restoration: We provide on-the-ground restoration work through river clean-up events with hundreds of community members every year. We also aim to work with legislators on creating a mandatory riparian buffer strip bill and to work with farm agencies to implement regenerative agriculture practices to improve water quality and soil health.

We look forward to working with you to protect and restore the Big Sioux River!