The prolonged drought of the 1930s in the Midwest and Plains – the Dust Bowl – provided a stark and unforgettable picture of what happens when soil becomes so dry over years that relentless winds can sweep it away in clouds of fine dust. The irrigation portion of the Pick-Sloan Plan was, in part, created as a result of the drought and Dust Bowl. More recently, the onset of drought in the early 2000s reminded us that dry years are not just a thing of the past.
The six main stem dams of the Missouri River support 36 hydropower units capable of using the force of moving water to generate approximately 2,500 megawatts, enough power to serve millions of households. Hydropower is an authorized purpose that returns revenues to the Federal Treasury.
The Missouri River supports navigation from Sioux City, Iowa to the confluence with the Mississippi River, near St. Louis, Missouri. Flows from the Missouri River also contribute to navigation on the Mississippi River from St. Louis to New Orleans, Louisiana. Drought and low water on the Missouri River have limited barge traffic in recent years.
Periodic floods are a regular occurrence throughout the Missouri River Basin. Resulting from storms, snowmelt and even ice jams, floods significantly impact the people, communities, infrastructure, farms and businesses in the Basin.
