The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe has been awarded a multi-million-dollar grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to fund climate resilience and flood mitigation efforts in Moody County.
The project will focus on Flandreau Creek, east of the city, where flooding has impacted homes during periods of heavy rainfall and high water levels. Plans include restoring the creek’s banks using additional materials, native grasses, and natural drainage systems to slow the water flow both in residents’ backyards and as it moves from the creek to the Big Sioux River.
“We may not be able to eliminate flooding entirely,” said Cheryl Chapman of KLJ Engineering.

“But the measures we’re implementing aim to reduce its impact and take some of the energy out of the water as it rushes down the creek toward the Big Sioux. Right now, it’s like a chute of water.”
Project managers from KLJ Engineering expect that slowing water from Flandreau Creek and other tributaries feeding the Big Sioux will also help mitigate downstream flooding. They note that bioengineering and natural systems will promote long-term stabilization in the area.
The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe received over $3 million from the Tribal Climate Resilience Grant for the project, one of two grants recently secured for Big Sioux River and tributary restoration efforts. Liz Wakeman and her team with the tribe’s Brownsfield Project played key roles in securing the funding.
Surveying and other preliminary work are set to begin in the coming weeks, with the project expected to wrap up early next spring. Partners include the Army Corps of Engineers, Tribal Housing, the City of Flandreau, construction firms, and the East Dakota Water Development District.
A second project, focused on restoring the oxbow at Hazel’s Haven northeast of Flandreau, is also moving forward with additional grant support. More details on that project will be covered in next week’s edition.