The Missouri River offers countless paddling opportunities/David and Kay Scott
We recently had an opportunity to revisit northeastern Nebraska and explore portions of the Missouri National Recreation River. The two of us had previously covered a great deal of Nebraska, especially the western part of the state plus several journeys along the historic and scenic Platte River Valley. The drive following the Oregon Trail along the Platte with stops in Fort Kearny, Chimney Rock, and the town of North Platte is one of America's great road trips.
We most recently passed through the northeastern portion of Nebraska in 2010 while following the route taken by Lewis & Clark as the Corps of Discovery returned to St. Louis from its winter stay in Fort Clatsop. At the time we had spent nearly three months on the road and were anxious to return home to south Georgia. Thus, we didn't spend much time in the Cornhusker state's hilly corner that was partially bordered by two sections of the Missouri National Recreation River. The recent trip was designed to correct the earlier slight to an interesting and scenic area of the state.
The 'Big Muddy'
The Missouri River, often referred to as the 'Big Muddy' due to the large amount of sediment it carries, once served as the country's major thoroughfare to the West, first by trappers and traders, and later by Lewis & Clark as the Corps of Discovery searched for a water route to a western ocean. Although the Corps was unable to discover the water route that President Thomas Jefferson had hoped for, the men returned in 1806 to St. Louis with knowledge that helped open the American West to exploration and development.
The Missouri, with a length of 2,341 miles, is America's longest river, exceeding the length of the Mississippi by a little less than 150 miles. The Missouri is generally considered to begin at the junction of three tributaries (the Jefferson, Gallatin, and Madison) in southwestern Montana. It then flows through or along the borders of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas, until heading east through the middle of Missouri on its way to the Mississippi River. Surprisingly, the great river once flowed across present-day Montana toward the northeast until emptying into Hudson Bay and, eventually, the Arctic Ocean. This earlier course was dammed several million years ago by glacial ice, causing the river to divert toward the southeast along its present route.
A small section of the national river/David and Kay Scott
Changes on the River
In modern times, the river has been impacted by a number of legislative acts, including the 1944 Pick-Sloan Plan, whose purpose it was to promote and coordinate flood control, irrigation, navigation, power, a sanitary water supply, wildlife, and recreation. Other legislation important to the Missouri included the Wild and Scenic River Act of 1968 (mentioned below), the Water Resources Development Act of 1976, and a series of environmental protection laws including the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
From the headwaters near Three Forks, Montana, to its confluence with the Mississippi River a short distance north of St. Louis, the Missouri that was once wild and meandering has been largely tamed by a series of six huge hydroelectric dams, the first of which is at Fort Peck in eastern Montana. Construction on the Fort Peck Dam commenced during 1933 and required seven years before the project began generating electricity.
Five additional downstream dams have resulted in large reservoirs that trap sediment rather than allowing it to flow downstream, thus changing the natural flow along with the nature of the river and its ecosystem. The river has also been altered by artificially stabilizing the banks and forcing the water flow into narrower channels compared to when it ran wild and meandered over wide stretches of the adjacent landscape. The dams and channeling have resulted in development moving closer to the river, further degrading its nature.
Missouri National Recreation River
The Missouri National Recreational River was established under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 that categorizes entries into one of three groupings: wild, scenic, or recreational. The latter category is the least restrictive and includes rivers that are generally easily accessible by vehicle and may have encountered some diversion or impoundment plus shoreline development. The dams, developed shorelines, and relatively easy access result in MNRR being classified as recreational rather than wild or scenic.
The MNRR is comprised of two free-flowing sections of the Missouri River along Nebraska's northeastern border with South Dakota, plus 20 miles of the Niobrara River and 8 miles of Verdigre Creek, two Missouri tributaries. The two sections of the Missouri are separated by 25-mile-long Lewis and Clark Lake behind Gavins Point Dam, a short distance upstream from the town of Yankton, South Dakota.
The 59-mile eastern district of the MNRR begins just below Gavins Point Dam and continues downstream to Nebraska's Ponca State Park. Established by law in 1978, this was the first of the two sections added to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The 39-mile western section of the recreational river begins just below Fort Randall Dam near the town of Pickstown, South Dakota, and terminates just beyond Nebraska's Niobrara State Park and the confluence with the Niobrara River.
Dams just above each of the two sections of the MNRR have had a major impact on the nature of the river within the sections. The reservoirs have produced many water-related recreational activities that were unavailable or more difficult to enjoy when the river was wild. The dams have also reduced, but not eliminated, flooding that was a more common occurrence when the river was free-flowing. The major flooding of 2011 was an example of how snowmelt and heavy precipitation along the upper stretches of the river can overwhelm man's ability to control the river.
Rangers are ready to show you some of the highlights of the unit, such as this old railroad bridge/David and Kay Scott
Visiting MNRR
The National Park Service, with headquarters in Yankton, South Dakota, helps manage the recreational river in partnership with the state of Nebraska and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In truth, it is the latter that has the greatest influence over the river since it manages water flow through the two stretches of MNRR that include the Fort Randall and Gavins Point dams. Likewise, NPS owns little property along the river, so public camping and recreational activities are operated by the adjoining states or the Corps of Engineers.
Not surprisingly, the most popular activities are water-based. Catfish, walleye, sauger, and paddlefish are some of the species available to anglers. Walleye, prized eating for two people from south Georgia, are best caught a short distance downstream from the two dams. A license from either South Dakota or Nebraska is acceptable for river fishing. Canoeing and kayaking are both quite popular, but care must be taken and the National Park Service recommends that only experienced paddlers should be on the river due to its currents and flow.
Two particularly inviting state parks are along the Nebraska side of the recreational river. Niobrara State Park, a short distance from the town of Niobrara and near the downstream terminus of the western stretch of the recreational river, offers camping, 20 cabins, horseback trail rides, fishing, boat ramps, a swimming pool, and 14 miles of hiking trails. The cabins are on a high bluff that offers outstanding views of the river. Ponca State Park, located a short distance upstream from the terminus of the eastern recreational river segment, offers similar amenities, but with much nicer cabins. In fact, these are some of the nicest cabins we have found in a state park. The Ponca park also houses the Missouri National Recreational River Resource and Education Center, which contains a large exhibit area.
On the South Dakota side of the river near the town of Yankton, Lewis & Clark State Recreation Area offers 400 campsites and 17 camping cabins in three separate campgrounds. A Corps of Discovery Welcome Center overlooking the river is across the Gavins Point Dam from Yankton.
Nearby sites worth a visit include the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Sioux City for travelers interested in learning about the Corps of Discovery. Likewise, Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park, approximately 30 miles south of Niobrara is simply outstanding. Complete skeletons of large mammals, turtles, and birds have been uncovered from ash that compacted after being deposited 12 million years ago following a volcanic explosion in present day Idaho.
Comments
Thank you, David and Kay, for another look at a part of our park system that many of us probably have not visited -- yet.
While a graduate student at USD, we did a canoe trip from Yankton to Vermillion under the direction of Oscar Howe who narrated our journey, telling us of the Sioux traditions and special places along the Missouri. Now, many years later, it is heart warming to see that portiaon of the river coming under protection. Let's foster progress to see it fully realized.