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Bear Butte Lake Dries Up Again | Rapid City News
Bear Butte Lake in western South Dakota is a ghost town of cracked mud and vanished water—three brutal droughts have drained this once-vibrant fishing and bird sanctuary, leaving families and migratory species high and dry. With no rivers to refill it, the lake’s fate hinges on rain and snowmelt alone, while federal ownership blocks easy fixes like dredging. The crisis mirrors a wider prairie meltdown: nearly 90% of private livestock dams are dry, forcing ranchers to scramble for water. Though Bear Butte has dried before—in 2007 and 2008—it’ll take a major weather turnaround to restore its…
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