The map below, of south-central South Dakota (the Great Plains portion of the south half of West River (1/6th of the State: 12,500 square miles) shows the Mni Wiconi Project.

The story of this project is a classic example of how government theft, spending, welfare, lust for votes and power work together to create a nightmare. It is an example of why the FedGov is 39 TRILLION dollars in debt, and why corruption and double-dealing are an essential part of human government.

Nobody is really sure how much this project cost over its 25+ year life, and how much it is costing today. Certainly a half-billion dollars between 1988 and at least 2015, and probably over a billion. And there is a strong possibility it was 2-3 billion. It provides water for an estimated population of around 40,000 to 50,000 people. Yes, an average population density of 5 people (or fewer) per square mile. And probably 3 times that many cattle. Assuming the $1 billion figure is right, that means an installed cost we can estimate conservatively at $20,000 per person: and upwards of $60,000 per household.

Since much of this area was and is frontier and three of the poorest AmerInd nations and reservations in the entire country, that amounted to close to 100% of at least one year’s per capita income. (The brown areas on the map above: Pine Ridge on the west (lower left), Rosebud in the lower center, and Lower Brule on the Missouri River. There are large areas of tribally-owned and trust land in several of the counties in the map: Bennett, Mellette, and Lyman. Enrolled tribal populations in the area served are estimated at about 28,000 people.

“But…” you sputter, “they didn’t have good water! They had to have this to protect health and safety and it was all for the children’s sake.”

Wrong.

All of these towns and communities had water systems. The vast majority of the many rural residences (including farms and ranches), both on and off the reservations, had water – and generally good water. Either from wells or from rivers and constantly-flowing streams. Yes, there were some isolated residence that had to truck their water in. But this was not Honduras where ten-year-old children use worn-out bicycles and balance 2 five-gallon water cans for ten miles (one way) to have water at home.

As an example of the stupid waste of taxpayer (stolen) money on this project, look at the west side of the map, where a red pipeline touches the Cheyenne River on the northwest corner of the Oglala Lakota Nation (and County): better known as Pine Ridge Reservation, home of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. That is the small community of Red Shirt (named for a 19th Century tribal leader).

As you can see in the Google Earth photo, this tiny community is only a few hundred feet from the Cheyenne River. That river flows year-round, draining a large part of Wyoming and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Billions and billions of gallons of water flow down the Cheyenne River all the way to the Missouri River, 200 miles away, near the city of Pierre.

It is near Pierre that a huge water purification and pumping station was built for the Mni Wiconi project. Red Shirt is the most distant point in that web of pipelines pumping that water all the way back up. Now, a good water purification plant could have been built right at Red Shirt, pumping water up to a tank on Red Shirt Table (that ridge S of town) and providing excellent water to the town and the various rural residences and ranches around. At a cost of only a hundred thousand 2010 dollars.

But providing much, much less for the profits and graft and “benefits” to local and tribal leaders and beltway bandit contractors and engineers. And therefore less campaign contributions AND opportunities for senators and congress members to make a fortune with their version of insider trading.

And at the same time, avoiding the very serious problem of a vast, centralized system like this. A system easily compromised at a single point of origin and various chokepoints. How compromised? Hacking of the control systems, power outages, even contamination or intentional poisoning of the water supply. To say nothing of accidents and mistakes.

Why?

Because government can. Because the powers-that-be can steal money from millions and use it to buy votes and good will by claiming to be compassionate and benevolent. Because at every step of the way there are thugs – con-artists and parasites and more – with their hands out and their pockets full of cash.

Gee! Ain’t government wonderful?