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Water guides South Dakota’s economy, ecosystems, and quality of life, yet there is limited empirical evidence on how residents understand water issues, what concerns they prioritize, and how they assign responsibility for water protection. This study examines public water knowledge, key water concerns, preferred management actions, and perceptions of responsibility for safeguarding water resources in South Dakota. We administered the South Dakota Water Resources Survey from July 2024 to August 2025, with responses from 461 adults across rural and urban communities. The instrument captured demographic characteristics and perceptions related to water knowledge, concerns, actionable items, and responsible parties. We analyzed responses using descriptive statistics, demographic group comparisons, and multivariate techniques to identify dominant priorities and demographic patterns. Clean and safe drinking water emerged as the highest priority across respondents. Residents rated local and state governments as primarily responsible for protecting water resources, while individuals, rural communities, and businesses were perceived as supporting partners. Water-resource knowledge increased with age, whereas waterrelated concerns varied by concern type and demographic group. Respondents strongly supported community-oriented interventions, including water-quality monitoring, enforcement of existing laws, and the use of rain gardens to manage stormwater. Results provide actionable guidance for communities and extension educators to design targeted outreach, education, and community interventions that align with resident priorities and perceived roles, strengthening local water governance and program effectiveness. Findings extend scholarship in agricultural extension and environmental education by connecting public perceptions of water issues to perceived responsibility structures and preferred action pathways in community-based water governance. This study offers the first statewide assessment of water perceptions in South Dakota and provides a transferable survey-based model for understanding water values and informing water-resource education and extension strategies in similar rural regions.
water perceptions, public knowledge, water governance, extension education, water-quality management
Water guides South Dakota’s economy, ecosystems, and quality of life, yet there is limited empirical evidence on how residents understand water issues, what concerns they prioritize, and how they assign responsibility for water protection. This study examines public water knowledge, key water concerns, preferred management actions, and perceptions of responsibility for safeguarding water resources in South Dakota. We administered the South Dakota Water Resources Survey from July 2024 to August 2025, with responses from 461 adults across rural and urban communities. The instrument captured demographic characteristics and perceptions related to water knowledge, concerns, actionable items, and responsible parties. We analyzed responses using descriptive statistics, demographic group comparisons, and multivariate techniques to identify dominant priorities and demographic patterns. Clean and safe drinking water emerged as the highest priority across respondents. Residents rated local and state governments as primarily responsible for protecting water resources, while individuals, rural communities, and businesses were perceived as supporting partners. Water-resource knowledge increased with age, whereas waterrelated concerns varied by concern type and demographic group. Respondents strongly supported community-oriented interventions, including water-quality monitoring, enforcement of existing laws, and the use of rain gardens to manage stormwater. Results provide actionable guidance for communities and extension educators to design targeted outreach, education, and community interventions that align with resident priorities and perceived roles, strengthening local water governance and program effectiveness. Findings extend scholarship in agricultural extension and environmental education by connecting public perceptions of water issues to perceived responsibility structures and preferred action pathways in community-based water governance. This study offers the first statewide assessment of water perceptions in South Dakota and provides a transferable survey-based model for understanding water values and informing water-resource education and extension strategies in similar rural regions.
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