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The Missouri no longer merits the moniker "Big Muddy." The whirlpools, sandbars and shifting currents that Lewis and Clark experienced have been destroyed by dams and dredging. Human efforts to harness the river and make it more easily navigable have taken their toll, leaving the 95-mile Garrison Reach as one of the last vestiges of the once-wild wild river.

The spectacular bluffs and cottonwood forests of Garrison Reach are located along the Central Flyway and welcome flocks of ducks, geese and other migratory birds every spring and fall. It is home to threatened and endangered species like the piping plover, least tern and pallid sturgeon. Hunting, fishing and hiking opportunities abound along the river, offering an opportunity to diversify and enhance North Dakota's growing tourism economy.

It is also rich in archaeological treasures: along this stretch are many historic village sites of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Indians. But Garrison Reach is threatened by booming development along the Missouri's banks. At the current rate of development the Garrison Reach will soon look more like a manmade canal than a natural river.

Sierra Club is working to keep the remaining natural stretches of the Missouri — one of America's most dammed and channeled rivers — wild and free. We are working with the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota to protect sacred sites along the river and with local conservationists and concerned citizens to keep this undredged, undimmed portion of the river in its natural state.

To help us keep the Garrison Reach of the Missouri River wild and scenic, please contact Jessica Gilbertson, jessica.gilbertson@sierraclub.org, 701-530-9288.