The pallid sturgeon, an ancient fish that has existed since the age of the dinosaurs, also relies on natural fluctuations of the Missouri River, one of the few spots where the species still lives. Damming has altered the turbid water the pallid sturgeon requires and channelization has reduced habitat. Decline has been particularly marked between the Gavins Point Dam and the Fort Peck Dam; natural reproduction is almost nonexistent. Listed as endangered in 1990, its future depends on changes in dam management along the main branch of the Missouri River.

Federally endangered.