This is my sixth installment visiting the bridges and structures of a
great American river. In this outing, we visit the bridges, locks, and
dams on the Missouri River. The mighty Missouri is the longest river
in North America, wandering from its source in western Montana and heading
south and east to its confluence with the Mississippi River at Saint Louis,
Missouri.
The Missouri River has three distinct sections. The lower river runs
735 miles from its confluence with the Mississippi River at Saint Louis,
through Kansas City, and then to the river head of navigation just
north of Sioux City, Iowa. The river is characterized by running
through relatively flat territory that is prone to extreme flooding.
The US Army Corps of Engineers has attempted to channelize the river,
but once the river overflows its banks, it flows along the path of
least resistance.
The upper river flows through the Dakotas and eastern Montana, where the
river is characterized by a series of monumental dams and giant river
bridges. It is amazing to consider that these huge dams, some of the
largest on the planet, are located over 1000 miles from the Gulf of
Mexico.
The headwaters area is located between the start of the Missouri River
at the Three Forks, and continues east through Montana until the river
enters Fort Peck Lake, the reservoir behind Fort Peck Dam. Through
much of Montana, the river is much like a mountain stream. The highlight
of the headwaters area is the waterfall at Great Falls, a key obstacle
faced and conquered by the Lewis & Clark Expedition.
