The Little White River in South Dakota is a major tributary to the White River, located in the Northwestern Great Plains ecoregion in central South Dakota. The watershed spans approximately 426,404 hectares (1,053,667 acres) across portions of Cherry and Sheridan Counties in Nebraska and Shannon, Bennett, Todd, and Mellette Counties in South Dakota. The river flows through diverse terrain characterized by Pierre Shale formations and White River Group soils, with land elevation ranging from about 520 meters to 825 meters above sea level. The watershed is primarily agricultural, with approximately 92% consisting of rangeland and pastureland, while the remaining 8% is cultivated and non-cultivated land. The Little White River is known for naturally high levels of total suspended solids, which creates a unique aquatic ecosystem that supports surprisingly diverse fish and macroinvertebrate communities despite the turbid conditions.