A PUBLIC PLACE
A river and its creek , its wildlife , fish , folklore and partnering for a future
A PUBLIC PLACE
North Dakota
Painted Woods WMA ...
A river and its creek , its wildlife , fish , folklore and partnering for a future
by Patricia Stockdill
F or centuries , the Missouri River went where it wanted to , whenever it wanted .
It flooded with fury . It trickled in severe drought . It nourished wildlife throughout a watershed spanning more than 500,000 square-miles across parts of 10 states and two Canadian provinces . It nourished fish .
And it was the lifeblood of the native people in a region that would become the United States .
In today ’ s world , though , much of the “ Mighty Mo ” is tamed -- most of the time -- with six dams in Montana , North Dakota , and South Dakota . Before that , however , when she flooded she may have left an ox-
bow -- a portion of a waterway cut off from its main flow -- perhaps as a reminder to those who followed that she just might do it again .
Page 68 , Dakota Country , September 2024 www . dakotacountrymagazine . com