The Flandreau Santee Sioux will collaborate over the next two years with the Army Corps of Engineers and other partners on a second project aimed at reducing the region’s flooding impact.
As we reported a few weeks ago, FSST was awarded $3 million for drainage and restoration work on Flandreau Creek, east of the city, to mitigate flooding and slow water flow into the Big Sioux River during high water events. That project, set to begin soon with consulting partners KLJ Engineering and others, is expected to be completed by early next spring.
In addition to this, the Tribe recently secured nearly $14 million from the Corps to study the river’s overall flow in Moody County and restore areas affected by past flooding.

One key focus will be Hazel’s Haven, where an oxbow has formed, disrupting the river’s natural flow. The oxbow, a horseshoe-shaped offshoot filled with sediment, has caused water to back up and contributed to bank erosion.
Liz Wakeman, the Natural Resources Office’s Brownfield Coordinator, has been keeping an eye on the river throughout Moody County for years and is the one who submitted the application.
“Hopefully it will reduce the impact of flooding on the area,” said Wakeman. She added that she hopes the work will lessen the frequency of flooding around FSST’s powwow grounds.
Michael L. Connor, assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, announced earlier this fall that 12 communities from across the country, including Flandreau, are the first to participate in the pilot program, “specifically designed to make federal investments in small or economically disadvantaged communities.”
The funding will come through the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.