About Dewey C. Gevik

The Wall Lake Restoration Project successfully removed 15 million cubic yards of sediment from the body of water just east of here. This area is designed to preserve the lake by providing a buffer from future siltation.

Dewey Gevik lived a life dedicated to the preservation of soil & water. His legacy continues in the dams, terraces, & countless trees that are a result of a lifelong career in conservation work. It is to Dewey's memory, the Minnehaha Conservation District dedicates the Dewey C. Gevik Outdoor Conservation Learning Area.

Dewey Gevik   1923 – 1994
Minnehaha Conservation District

Profiles in
Soil Health

Video Locations

The SD Profiles In Soil Health videos were created to promote the use and adoption of soil health practices throughout the state of South Dakota. Their creation was organized by the SD Soil Health Coalition through a grant with USDA-NRCS SD and features farmers and ranchers sharing their firsthand experiences with adopting and utilizing these practices on their operations.

Videos filmed in 2017

Videos filmed in 2018

Videos filmed in 2019

Points of
Interest

Touch a pin to see points of interest.








FAQs about
Soil Health

Houdek is a deep, loamy, highly fertile soil formed over thousands of years from glacial till and prairie grasses. It was named South Dakotas official state soil in 1990.
Everything we eat, the shelter we live in, the clothes we wear, and the oxygen we breathe all comes directly or indirectly from the soil.
Healthy soil grows food, stores water, filters pollutants, supports wildlife, and decreases reliance on chemical inputs like fertilizers and pesticides.
It can take up to 500 years or more to create one inch of healthy topsoil.
There can be more organisms in one teaspoon of healthy soil than there are humans on the planet earth, more than 8 billion.
Examples of the organisms in healthy soil include bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes.
Indicators include compacted soil, poor drainage, low yields, stunted plant growth, and excessive runoff.
Follow the 5 principles of soil health, keep your soil covered, limit disturbance, increase diversity, keep a living root in the soil as long as possible, integrate livestock.
www.sdconservation.org/conservation-districts
sdfreshconnect.com
sdgrazingexchange.com







The Soil Quilt mockup

The Soil Quilt
A Children's Book

Interactive Storybook

Enjoy an interactive, read-along version of The Soil Quilt. Tap the button below to open the book in a full-screen window.

SD Soil Health Handbook mockup

SD Soil Health
Handbook

Reference Guide

This book is your guide to soil health principles, practices and options for your operation. If you want to learn more about soil and find advice on how to implement good soil health practices, the South Dakota Healthy Soils Handbook is just what you need. You can read and download the entire book here. For the best viewing experience, we recommend the following web browsers: Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox. If you would like a hard copy of the book, please contact the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition.