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Missouri River Montana
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In the summer of 1845 the steamboat Antelope was chugging up the Missouri River out of St. Louis bound for Montana. The July 11th log for that year reports: It was another windy day. The crew shot two buffalo cows and a calf and brought the carcasses on board for provisions. A war party of Yanktons approached on the shore and asked to be taken on board. They were let on and transported further on the river and let off at a place called Bazille. They were on their way to war against the Pawnees. http://www.missouririvertrips.com/SiouxCity/SiouxCityM.htm
The Missouri River begins where the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin Rivers meet and then flows for 35 miles to be controlled by the Canyon Ferry-Hauser-Holter Dams. The fishing is very good between Townsend and Three Forks for large trout. Totson Dam is half-way between Three Forks and Canyon Ferry. The Missouri River is 734 miles (223 reservoir miles) in Montana. It is a Class 1 beginners river the whole way in Montana except at Morony Dam in Great Falls where there is 4 miles of Class 3 rapids. The annual mean flow is 7,696 cfs at Fort Benton so there is water in The Big Muddy all year round. Hazards are strong winds, storms, mosquitoes and mucho rattlesnakes.
There is a 149 mile Wild and Scenic section of the Missouri River between Fort Benton and the Fred Robinson Bridge. That part of the river has been a member of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System since 1976. There is boat registration required at Wild and Scenic sections at Fort Benton, Coal Banks and Judith Landing. Less crowded sections are Fred Robinson Bridge to Turkey Joe or try Fort Peck Dam to North Dakota. A trip from Fred Robinson Bridge to Fort Peck is elk sighting in September. Up river from the Judith River the white sandstone cliffs on the Missouri River are beautiful rock formations. http://www.examiner.com/x-10832-Billings-Sightseeing-Examiner~y2009m10d3-Fort-Peck
In the late 19th century settlers brought in barrels of brook trout, rainbow trout and German brown trout to Montana and stocked every place there was water. Many foreign species still thrive and some fisherman practice catch and release with native fish to give them a possible edge on the introduced species. For more information on fishing regulations and other questions contact Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. There is information in the FAS Field Guide on pages 50, 53, 54, and 55. Questions can also be directed to the Bureau of Land Management which has offices in Lewistown and Fort Benton. http://fwp.mt.gov/default.html http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en.html http://missouririver.visitmt.com/ http://missouririver.visitmt.com/history.html http://www.nps.gov/mnrr/index.htm http://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/ http://www.mrba-missouri-river.com/
The Missouri River is America's longest river at 2,470 miles long. It has a 529,000 square mile drainage area and 57,725 square miles of drainage area is behind the Fort Peck Dam. The Missouri River has been known to change its channel and seek a new one. Many times without any warning the Big Muddy has turned and washed away farms, towns, railroads and highways and flood control was a big part of the reason behind Fort Peck Dam. http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntmo.html http://www.ghostsofamerica.com/states/mt.html
Fort Peck Dam
Maps: BLM #39 (Great Falls North), BLM #40 (Great Falls South), BLM #41 (Canyon Ferry Dam), BLM #42 (Townsend), BLM #43 (Bozeman), BLM #48 (Lonesome Lake), BLM #49 (Fort Benton), BLM #58 (Winifred), RAG-16, RAG-17, BLM #84 (Glasgow), BLM #85 (Fort Peck Lake East), BLM #93 (Wolf Point), BLM #102 (Culbertson). Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River maps 1 and 2 & 3 and 4. USFS: Helena; USGS: Bozeman, MT; White Sulphur, MT; Great Falls, MT; Shelby, MT; Lewistown, MT; Jordan, MT; Wolf Point, MT; Montana Afloat #16 (Missouri River).
Gregan Wortmann
Link to the first article in the Montana river series: http://www.examiner.com/x-10832-Billings-Sightseeing-Examiner~y2009m8d3-Stillwater-River-Montana
Some of my source for this travel blog article is from the book Paddling Montana by Hank and Carol Fischer; Falcon Press Helena (1999).
And Big Muddy Blues by Bill Lambrecht; Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin Press, New York (2005); ISBN: 0-312-32783-8.
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