The Missouri National Recreational River is a National Recreational River located on the border between

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

and

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

. The designation was first applied in 1978 to a 59-mile section of the Missouri River between

Gavins Point Dam Gavins Point Dam is a long embankment rolled-earth and chalk-fill dam which spans the Missouri River and impounds Lewis and Clark Lake. The dam joins Cedar County, Nebraska with Yankton County, South Dakota a distance of 811.1 river miles (1,30 ...

and Ponca State Park. In 1991, an additional 39-mile section between Fort Randall Dam and Niobrara, Nebraska, was added to the designation. These two stretches of the Missouri River are the only parts of the river between Montana and the mouth of the Missouri that remain undammed or unchannelized. The last 20 miles of the

Niobrara River The Niobrara River (; oma, Ní Ubthátha khe, , literally "water spread-out horizontal-the" or "The Wide-Spreading Water") is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. Many early settlers, such as Mari Sando ...

and 6 miles of Verdigre Creek were also added in 1991. The Missouri National Recreational River is managed by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

, with headquarters located in Yankton, South Dakota. Visitor centers are located at Ponca State Park, Niobrara State Park and the Lewis and Clark Visitor Center at Gavins Point Dam, overlooking

Lewis and Clark Lake Lewis and Clark Lake is a 31,400 acre (130 km²) reservoir located on the border of the U.S. states of Nebraska and South Dakota on the Missouri River. The lake is approximately in length with over of shoreline and a maximum water dep ...

. It lies in parts of

Boyd Boyd may refer to: Places Canada * Boyd Conservation Area, a conservation area located northwest of Toronto, Ontario * Boyd Lake (disambiguation) United States * Boyd County (disambiguation) * Boyd, Indiana * Boyd, Iowa * Boyd, Kansas * B ...

Cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

, Dixon, and Knox counties in Nebraska, and Bon Homme, Charles Mix,

Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

, and Yankton counties in South Dakota.

History

MNRR At the North Alabama wreck site 20070807171612

People have lived along the river for some 10,000 years.MNRR Cultural Site
/ref> Archeologists have found their tools and weapons, homes, foods, religious, and ceremonial objects. The River is one of three historic east-west corridors, similar to the

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

and Santa Fe trails. It was a pathway of American Indians, Lewis and Clark, trappers and traders, steamboat captains, and settlers. French and Spanish traders preceded Lewis & Clark's 1804 expedition. The Yellow Stone was the first steamboat to sail this stretch of the river in 1832 on the way to Fort Union Trading Post. The 1858 Treaty with the

Yankton Sioux The Dakota (pronounced , Dakota language: ''Dakȟóta/Dakhóta'') are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultures of the Sioux people, and are typically divided into ...

opened the southeastern portion of the

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of N ...

to white settlement. The

Homestead Act The Homestead Acts were several laws in the United States by which an applicant could acquire ownership of government land or the public domain, typically called a homestead. In all, more than of public land, or nearly 10 percent of t ...

of 1862 encouraged immigration into the region. During steamboat era, the Missouri was characterized by shifting channels, numerous braided channels, chutes, sloughs, islands, sandbars, and backwater areas. Well over 300 steamboats sank in the river between 1819 and 1920. By the mid-20th century, extensive flooding prompted the passage of many flood control measures. The Flood Control Act of 1944, (the Pick-Sloan Plan) created the Fort Randall and Gavins Point dams, causing major changes to the river's hydrology and habitats.

Flora and fauna

Along the river there are two major plant communities. The floodplain forest includes willow and cottonwood. The bluffs are covered by

elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of North ...

and oak. The annual floods create a variation of floodplain vegetation and succession throughout the park.MNRR Plants
/ref> New deposits such as sandbars and accretions adjacent to the riverbanks are covered with the pioneer species: annual weeds, short-lived grasses, sedges, and seedling willow and cottonwood. On higher above the water table, larger willow and cottonwood trees dominate. The floodplain forest includes larger cottonwoods on the highest banks and islands. The understory in the cottonwood forest is primarily dogwood, sumac, wild grape, and poison ivy. The sparse vegetation under the mature cottonwoods consists mostly of scouring rush, Kentucky bluegrass, smooth brome, and other invasive grasses and weeds. MNR Fish 10665

Above the floodplain, there is a mixed forest and agricultural fields. The forests on the adjoining bluffs are primarily hardwoods with the slopes covered by a dense growth of oak, ash, mulberry, and walnut, with burr oak as the dominant species. Wildlife is plentiful. Since the days of Lewis and Clark the larger mammals have disappeared, including the grizzly bear, bison, and elk. Small mammals, including mice, voles, bats, rats, and ground squirrels make up the bulk of the species within the park. Deer are often seen on private property along the banks. The American bald eagle has been gradually increasing throughout the park. Two other birds, the piping plover (northern Great Plains population) and the

least tern The least tern (''Sternula antillarum'') is a species of tern that breeds in North America and locally in northern South America. It is closely related to, and was formerly often considered conspecific with, the little tern of the Old World. Ot ...

(interior population), are still listed as threatened and endangered respectively. There are over 250 bird species identified within the riverway.

Threatened species

The National Park Service works alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

to help manage habitat for threatened and endangered species, especially the Piping plover,

Least tern The least tern (''Sternula antillarum'') is a species of tern that breeds in North America and locally in northern South America. It is closely related to, and was formerly often considered conspecific with, the little tern of the Old World. Ot ...

, and Pallid sturgeon. Since the establishments of the dams on the Missouri River these species and their population numbers have decreased. Habitat restoration and resource protection measures have been in place to help rebound these numbers. Often during the summer months sandbars are signed as "Closed" to help protect critical habitat, fines and other penalties can be imposed for violators.

Things to do

Recreational and educational opportunities abound at the Missouri National Recreational River. Fishing and hunting are popular actives. Walleye and catfish are the most popular species. Canoeing and kayaking are growing in popularity, and ranger-guided excursions are scheduled often during the summer.

Parks and recreation areas

As a "partnership park", the National Park Service (NPS) works closely with local and state agencies to help manage the recreational opportunities for the public. * Goat Island, island located just downstream of Wynot, Nebraska and upstream of Vermillion, South Dakota. Development is currently under planning stages as of 2018, with development possibly including camping, trails, hunting, birding, and other public recreational opportunities. This decision was met with much objection from local river users. Public forums were held, and feedback was allegedly collected, but the plan moved on as proposed.
Bow Creek Recreation Area
located near Wynot. Open to hunting, hiking, and river access. Over 30 acres of former farmland has been restored to native prairie and riverland bottom habitat.
Mulberry Bend Overlook
located near

Vermillion Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color, color family, and pigment most often made, since antiquity until the 19th century, from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide, which is toxic) and its corresponding color. It is v ...

, near

Nebraska Highway 15 Nebraska Highway 15 (N-15) is a highway in eastern Nebraska, United States. It has a southern terminus at the Kansas border south of Fairbury and a northern terminus northeast of Maskell at the South Dakota border. Route description Nebraska ...

. The area has a scenic overlook of Mulberry Bend along the Missouri, along with a 3/4 mile hiking trail. * Ponca State Park, located near Ponca, Nebraska maintains the Missouri National Recreational River Resource and Education Center. There are many events for outdoor education held annually that focus on the importance of the Missouri River and its history. Additionally, several campgrounds, multi-purpose trails, scenic overlooks, and river access are popular with the public. * Niobrara State Park, located near Niobrara, Nebraska is located at the confluence of the Missouri and Niobrara Rivers. The park maintains several trails, cabins, campgrounds, and scenic overlooks.

Attractions and points of interest

* Spirit Mound Historic Prairie, near

Vermillion, South Dakota Vermillion ( lkt, Waséoyuze; "The Place Where Vermilion is Obtained") is a city in and the county seat of Clay County. It is in the southeastern corner of South Dakota, United States, and is the state's 12th-largest city. According to the 2020 ...

. * Meridian Highway Bridge, in Yankton, South Dakota. *

, near Yankton, South Dakota. *

, near Yankton, South Dakota. * Fort Randall Dam, near Pickstown, South Dakota. *

Fort Randall The Fort Randall Military Post was established in 1856 to help keep peace on the frontier. It was located on the south side of the Missouri River in South Dakota, just below the present site of the Fort Randall Dam. History The site for the f ...

, near Pickstown, South Dakota. * Karl E. Mundt National Wildlife Refuge, near Pickstown, South Dakota. *

Chief Standing Bear Memorial Bridge The Chief Standing Bear Memorial Bridge is a bridge across the Missouri River at the Nebraska-South Dakota border. Located near Niobrara, Nebraska, not far downstream from the confluence of the Niobrara River with the Missouri, it joins Nebraska ...

, near Niobrara, Nebraska. * Discovery Bridge, near Yankton, South Dakota. * Vermillion–Newcastle Bridge, near Vermillion, South Dakota.

References

External links

National Park Service - Missouri National Recreational River

Missouri National Recreational River Water Trail

Missouri River current river conditions and water releases (USACE)

Gavins Point Dam and Lewis & Clark Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Fort Randall Dam, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Missouri River Recovery Program
{{authority control Missouri River Federal lands in Nebraska Protected areas of South Dakota Protected areas of Nebraska Protected areas established in 1978 National Park Service areas in South Dakota National Park Service areas in Nebraska National Park Service Wild and Scenic Rivers Protected areas of Boyd County, Nebraska Protected areas of Cedar County, Nebraska Protected areas of Dixon County, Nebraska Protected areas of Bon Homme County, South Dakota Protected areas of Charles Mix County, South Dakota Protected areas of Clay County, South Dakota Protected areas of Union County, South Dakota Protected areas of Yankton County, South Dakota 1978 establishments in South Dakota 1978 establishments in Nebraska