GOOD WATER MEANS HEALTHIER SHEEP, HAPPIER SHEPHERD

Norma Musick makes it clear that the sheep came first when the decision was made to hook up to the Mid-Dakota Rural Water System. 

"The lambs were first, and the house was secondary," Norma states.  "In our situation, we had plenty of spring water.  But the water was high in alkali, and we felt it was resulting in health problems for the sheep."

The problem was "water belly," a condition where the lambs would form kidney stones.  These stones would block the kidneys, causing the sheep to retain water.  Many times, surgery was the only answer.  "Obviously, that set the sheep back," Norma says.  "It was hard on them and hard on us."

So the Musicks, who live east of Pierre, decided three years ago to switch to Mid-Dakota water.  Norma reports that the water has made a noticeable difference in the health of the flock, which numbers approximately 200 head of sheep and lambs.

"We didn't have any cases of water belly last year, and we haven't had any so far this year either," she says.  "We still feed the sheep a mixture of salt and limestone to help prevent the stones from forming, but I would say that the water has made a big difference.  It has been worth the investment." 

The Mid-Dakota water comes to the Musick home and then runs out to the farmlot, where the sheep and some of son Doyle's bulls take advantage of the water.  "The majority of the sheep are Doyle's," Norma notes.  "He handles all the heavy work around here and I do the lambing."

Though water for the family was a secondary consideration when they first hooked up, Norma says she appreciates the Mid-Dakota water for more than just the health of the sheep.

"We used to switch back to the spring water after we'd sell the last of the lambs to conserve water and reduce the cost a bit," Norma says.  "Last year, I went to switch back and found snakes in the spring.  I decided we weren't going to switch again.

"I do like the Mid-Dakota water better," she continues.  "It doesn't corrode the faucets and sinks like the spring water did.  I wouldn't want to go back."

COWS PREFER MID-DAKOTA:
 Not Just Poppycock

Delbert and Donna Bushong originally weren't going to sign up for Mid-Dakota Rural Water as the pipeline went through northeast Hand County near their Tulare farm.

An artesian well had kept them adequately supplied with water for years.  But their son's family, Todd and Ann Bushong, had not been as fortunate.  Though partners on the farm, their well water quality was extremely poor.  So Delbert went ahead and signed up both families.

It's a decision they've all come to appreciate.  "Are we ever glad we did it," says Delbert. Plenty of the reasons are housekeeping related.  The laundry whites stay whiter.  The faucets no longer deteriorate rapidly from the artesian's hard water effects.  The shower stalls stay cleaner.

There's also the safety issue, "We've come to realize the importance of a safe water source," explains Delbert.  "I know they run tests so we're assured of high-quality, tested water."

And then there's the vote of confidence that came from the cows.  The diversified Bushong farming operation had also included cow/calf pairs until they were all sold earlier this winter.  But last summer, the herd had its choice of water our on pasture: a large tank with artesian water or a small tank with Mid-Dakota.

The artesian tank was completely ignored.  Instead, the cows  would wait and stand inline to drink from the Mid-Dakota tank.  "I've never seen anything like it," says Delbert.  "I had heard that cows supposedly liked rural water over artesian and had wondered if that was just poppycock. Well, it's not.  I saw it for myself."

The Bushongs have two other grown children, a daughter in Wyoming and a son in Yankton.  They are the proud grandparents of six "wonderful" grandchildren.  Delbert has been on the Dakota Energy board for over 20 years and is its current board chairman.

He says he now encourages anyone who has a chance to sign up for Mid-Dakota.  It's an opportunity not to be missed, according to Delbert.  "You never know what's going to happen, what the weather's going to do, or if the well is going to have problems.  It just makes sense to be assured of a safe, available source of water."