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MISSOURI RIVER

River Levels • Streamflow • Hydrology

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Total streamflow across the Missouri River was last observed at 387,900 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 769,390 acre-ft of water today; about 71% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 544,558 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2019-05-31 when daily discharge volume was observed at 3,557,200 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Missouri River At Bismarck reporting a streamflow rate of 44,500 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Missouri River Near Landusky Mt with a gauge stage of 17.79 ft. This river is monitored from 25 different streamgauging stations along the Missouri River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 3,911 ft, the Missouri River At Toston Mt.

The Missouri River is the longest river in North America, stretching over 2,341 miles from Montana to Missouri. It has been an integral part of American history, serving as a major transportation route for fur traders, pioneers, and explorers. The river's hydrology has been significantly altered by the construction of various reservoirs and dams, including the Garrison Dam, Oahe Dam, and Fort Peck Dam. These dams have helped with flood control, irrigation, and hydroelectric power generation. The Missouri River also holds significant recreational and agricultural value, with many communities relying on it for fishing, boating, and irrigation. The river and its tributaries provide habitat for a variety of fish species, including catfish, bass, and walleye. The Missouri River remains an important part of American history and continues to play a vital role in the lives of many communities today.

December 23, 2024

Last Updated	2024-12-23
Discharge Volume	769,390 ACRE-FT
Streamflow	387,900.0 cfs -7630.0 cfs (-1.93%)
Percent of Normal	71.23%
Maximum	3,557,200.0 cfs 2019-05-31
Seasonal Avg	544,558 cfs

History of the River

The Missouri River is the longest river in North America. Rising in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana, the Missouri flows east and south for 2,341 miles (3,767 km) before entering the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, Missouri. The river drains a sparsely populated, semi-arid watershed of more than 500,000 square miles (1,300,000 km2), which includes parts of ten U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. Although nominally considered a tributary of the Mississippi, the Missouri River above the confluence is much longer and carries a comparable volume of water. When combined with the lower Mississippi River, it forms the world's fourth longest river system.For over 12,000 years, people have depended on the Missouri River and its tributaries as a source of sustenance and transportation. More than ten major groups of Native Americans populated the watershed, most leading a nomadic lifestyle and dependent on enormous bison herds that roamed through the Great Plains. The first Europeans encountered the river in the late seventeenth century, and the region passed through Spanish and French hands before becoming part of the United States through the Louisiana Purchase.
The Missouri River was one of the main routes for the westward expansion of the United States during the 19th century. The growth of the fur trade in the early 19th century laid much of the groundwork as trappers explored the region and blazed trails. Pioneers headed west en masse beginning in the 1830s, first by covered wagon, then by the growing numbers of steamboats that entered service on the river. Settlers took over former Native American lands in the watershed, leading to some of the most longstanding and violent wars against indigenous peoples in American history.
During the 20th century, the Missouri River basin was extensively developed for irrigation, flood control and the generation of hydroelectric power. Fifteen dams impound the main stem of the river, with hundreds more on tributaries. Meanders have been cut and the river channelized to improve navigation, reducing its length by almost 200 miles (320 km) from pre-development times. Although the lower Missouri valley is now a populous and highly productive agricultural and industrial region, heavy development has taken its toll on wildlife and fish populations as well as water quality.