Local ordinances for building setbacks and natural screening, as well as conservation easements, are some of the ways to protect this section of river.
But a boost in property values has spawned an increase in development in the Bismarck and Washburn areas. With the increase in residential development comes the demand for riprapping of the riverbanks to protect homeowners' investments. Riprapping is the process of dumping rocks or other material along the riverbank to prevent erosion. But this process causes the bottom of the river to erode more quickly, creating a channel and changing the habitat for species that depend on the river. The Sierra Club is working with other interested parties and government
agencies to preserve land along the Garrison Reach through conservation
easements, concentrating our efforts on key historic sites
Photo: Missouri River near Fort Mandan, courtesy North Dakota Tourism Department. |
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The Garrison Reach in North Dakota is one of the few sections of the Missouri that would remind Lewis and Clark of the river as it was nearly 200 years ago. The Reach is the longest stretch of free-flowing Missouri left between the Garrison Dam in North Dakota and St. Louis, Missouri.
What
you can do: Contact Jessica Gilbertson at