Aerial Photography Maps of the Missouri National Recreational River Fort Randall Dam. South Dakota to Santee. Nebraska September 2003 Army Corps of Engineers ® Omaha District Table of Contents Welcome Page • A c"Omprch"n,;',., ex~mi"a t ion of the Missouri Ri,,,. addressil1g topics such as " .. ,irs grograph ica\ char~c~ris{iC.'l . .. .th e origin of ill! nickname, "Big Muddy." .. ,irs appearance during Lewis and Clark's "pk jOlln,C')'. 01 Bald Eagle While many bald Threatened and Endangered Species Page • An iliustrMive guide on the arca's rh",aten"d and endallgercd specie,; ourlinil1g" . area d uring the .. ,the need (or the Endan~",,,,d Species Act of 1973. these rapmrs may ."ways of protecting .pecies fOund along the Missouri Ri,,,r. ", the countless reasons and incentives for "",il1g endange",d species. yea r in the 02 ;Iatec\, means tIl e s 'niubthatha,' or Historical Information Page .A historiC"~1 owrvi~'w of the Lewis and Clark Expedition providing specifies on ... .. the ~... "nt:,; that led up to the f~med Expedition . \ ... the conditions as descril>ed in the journals of William Clark . .. the Missouri Ri",r and the Lev,'is & Clark Bicentennial CommemorMion. 04 Ide turtJicrinsrructi;:jns. General and Safety Information Page oat Ramp Coordinates - An ~ ~t ensiw list of ,,',,nernl information and sa(cty pm:autions offering tips on .. Boat Ramp Name Lat .. respecting the' resomce. .. ....... imming. OOating. and ",mping. Spillway 430031 .. reading and na"ig;oting the' Missomi Riwr. 07 ,--" andalLC ,eek 4r 03 Sheet Index Page • An iliustrMi"e map indexing the following sections of the Recreational Ri",r... ... Missouri Riwr in blue . .. Niobr~r~ Ri,,,r in ",d . ... VerdigreC",ek in purple. 09 Aerial Photography and Maps Page - A collection of maps covering the fo llowing sections of th" Re'Creational River. .. .. Missouri Ri ' er: P<I$J /0 · 25. .. Niobrnrn Riwr fuges 26 · 32 . .. V"rdigr" Creek: fuga JJ . 3i . 10 Biological Overview Page _ A brief glimpse into the arca's vast bio-di"'''ity prO\'iding a \":Irie!)' of ima~..,s on .. ... Mammals such as the Red Fox and Coo,"Ote . .. Birds such as the S,,,rler Tanager and Great Blue Heron . ... r r~irie Plant:,; such as the Pmirie larkspur and Purple Pmirie CIO\"r. 35 ~ 't gLJ 00£1-:0::10--------, http// www.nps.gov/ m nrr Contacts Page - A direcrory for indi"iduals requiring further information listing cOntact> such a.i .. U.S. Army Corps of Enginee r .. th" Fort Randall Project - U.S. Ann)" Corps of Engineers. .. thc' Missouri National R <'Cr~ational River - National P-drk Sc,.,:i", . Fort Randall Project J .. th" Missouri River Information C<·nt"r· U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 36 U.S. Highway 281/18 P.O. B Welcome Page 01 Welcome to the 39-Mile District, Missouri National Recreational River. The mighty Missouri River watershed includes one-sixth of the United States and encompasses 529,350 square miles in the hea rt of the North American continent. It flows 2,341 miles from its headwaters at the confluence of the Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson Ri vers in the Rocky MOllntains at Three Forks, Montana, to its confluence with the Mi ssissippi River a few miles north of St. Louis, Mi ssouri. Before development, the free-flowing Mi ssouri River represented one of North America's most diverse ecosystems. Braided channels, riparian lands, chutes, sloughs, islands, sandbars, and backwater areas abounded. By carrying high sedi ment loads, the rive r earned the nickname "Big Muddy." Two programs, the Flood Control Act of 1944 (commonly known as the Pick/Sloan Plan) and the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project (1945), transfo rmed the free-flowing river. The upper river now compri ses a system of large reservoirs, and the lower river is composed of highly altered riverine reaches influenced by bank stabilization and regulated flows. Lewis and Clark's epic journey in 1804-06 revealed a pristine Mi ssouri Ri ver. Today, the Mi ssou ri National Recreational Rive r is a showcase for cherished natural resources. The Missouri National Recreational River in South Dakota and Nebraska is both a unit of the National Park System and the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The park comprises two segments separated by the Lew is and Clark Rese rvoi r. The lowe r segment is a 59-mile reach from Gavins Point Dam to Nebraska's Ponel State Pa rk. The upper segment is a 39-mile reach from Fort Randall Dam to Running Water, South Dakota. The upper segment also includes 20 miles of the lower Niobrara River and nine miles of Verdigre C reek. I n the 39-mile segment, the Missouri River retains the natural landscape of its namesake the "Big Muddy." The river channel va ries in depth from a few inches to more than 30 feet and meanders from shore to shore. The river valley va ries in width from 5,000 to 9,000 feet. During low water conditions the current is slow, moving at a lazy two miles per hour. Much of the shoreline along the Nebraska banks consists of fo rested chalkstone bluffs with willow and cottonwood trees growing on numerous islands and sandbars. On the South Dakota side, the river valley is up to a mile wide and is bordered by forested chalksTone bluffs and rolling hillsides. This section of the Missouri River has changed very little since Lewis and C lark first journeyed its length in 1804 and again on the return trip in 1806. Threatened and Endangered Species Page 02 The Missouri National Recreational River area is home to a number of threatened and endangered species that are protected under theEndangered Species Act of 1973. What is the Endangered Species Act and why is it needed? When Congress authorized the Endangered Species Act they declared that species of "fish, wi ldlife, and plants are of aesthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its people," The purpose of the Act is to provide a means whereby endangered species and their ecosystems may be conserved. The intent of the Endangered Species Act is not to just list species as endangered or threatened, but rather, to recover the population of these species to a point where they can be removed from the list. The U.s. Fish and Wildlife Service administers the law for all inland species and certain marine species. What are endangered species? The Endangered Species Act states that the Secreta ry of Interior shall determine species as endangered or threatened based on mamade factors affecting thei r continued existence. Endangered: Species listed as endangered are in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range. Threatened: Species listed as threatened are species that are likely to become endange red within the foreseeable futu re. Why save endangered species? Many forms of plants and animals are used di rectly by humans. Medicines derived from plants have a commercial value. Scientists continue to find new plants fo r med icinal purposes. For exa mple, a tree called the Pacific Yew, found in the northwestern United States, is known to have properries that will aid in some cancer rreatments. Since many species of plants and wildlife are more suscepri ble to changes in the environ ment, they will often show detrimental effects long before humans. For exa mple, byproducts in the pesticide DDT led to a dramatic decline in the numbers of bald eagles by causing a thinning in their eggshells. DDT increases in concentration (bioaccumulates) as it goes up rhe food chain. Since bald eagles are at the top of the food chain, they were grea tly affected by this pesticide. All organisms store valuable genetic material that once lost, is gone fo reve r. So, we ask yo u to recognize rhem, respect them, and protect their habitat. Please remember that ir is unlawful to kill, harm, or harass endangered species. The following are threatened and endangered species that may be seen in the Missouri National Recreational River area: (Pallid SrurgL'On) Pallid Sturgeon (Endangered) The Pallid Sturgeon is a primitive bottom-dwelling fish whose body is covered with bony plates with sharp scutes stretching along its back. This unique fish can be id entified by four barbels located at the front of the momh. Of the fo ur barbels, the outside ones are much longer than the inside barbels. If an angler catches any type of sturgeon, they must immediately release the fish back to rhe water. Threatened and Endangered Species Page 03 Bald Eagle (Threatened) While many bald eagles pass through the area during the spring and fa ll migra(ions, these raptars may be see n throughout the yea r in the Misso uri National Recreational Rive r area . These majestic bi rds tend nests and raise young throughout the spring and summer at sites near the rive r as well as roost in cottOnwoods along the river during the winter. Bald eagles are ve ry sensitive to human presence. Do not approach an active nest as disturbance by humans may cause the eagle to abando n the nest. Di sturbing an eagle in the winter will cause it to waste val uable energy reserves by forcing it to fly from the roost. To avoid disturbing eagles, do nOt get any closer than 300 ya rds unless in a vehicle o r blind. Photograph Far Le(t. C ",dit: U.s. Fish and Wildlife (Bald Eagle) Piping Plover (Threatened) and Interior Least Tern (Endangered) The piping plover and interior least tern are summer res idents that utilize sand bars for nesting and raising the iT young.