Back to Rivers. Other Facts About the Mississippi River. The “ Mighty Mo ” is the longest river in America.. In the early 1700s French fur traders began to navigate upstream. Your email address will not be published. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. below], Big Hidatsa Village Site, and Three Forks of Missouri. The Missouri was named Peki-tan-oui on some early French maps and, later, Oumessourit; it has been nicknamed “Big Muddy” because of the amount of solid matter it carries in suspension. Hydroelectric installations along the river generate electricity for many communities along the river’s upper course. By discharge, the Missouri is the 9th largest river of the United States, after the Mississippi, St. Lawrence, Ohio, Columbia, Niagara, Yukon, Detroit, and St. Clair. In the Missouri River Basin precipitation is projected to remain variable with a slight increase across the basin by In the Missouri Basin moisture falling as rain instead of snow at lower elevations is projected to increase the Basin Report: Missouri River The Missouri is the longest river in the United States. The carps then escaped,and made the Missouri their home. Your email address will not be published. The Missouri has the nickname “Big Muddy,” because of the large amount of silt that it carries. The Missouri River is the longest river in North America. The Missouri River will travel more than 2,300 miles before it joins the Mississippi in its namesake state at St. Louis, forming the world’s fourth longest river system as it rolls south to the Gulf of Mexico.Considered the “Center of Life” for the Great Plains, the Missouri has served as t… It was known to them as Peki-tan-oui, so named on some of the early maps, and … The Missouri River flows north from Three Forks to Great Falls, where it bends east toward North Dakota. Missouri River Facts. The entire system of dams and reservoirs has greatly reduced flooding on the Missouri and provides water to irrigate millions of acres of cropland along the main river and its tributaries. Some sources, however, give the combined lengths of the Missouri proper and the Red Rock River (the upper course of the Jefferson River) of southwestern Montana as that of the Missouri River itself, instead of identifying it as a river system made up of both streams. Continuing through central and southern South Dakota, the river then forms a section of the South Dakota–Nebraska boundary, the Nebraska–Iowa boundary, the Nebraska–Missouri boundary, and the northern section of the Kansas–Missouri boundary. Missouri River, longest tributary of the Mississippi River and second longest river in North America. The Fort Peck Dam is one of the largest earthfill dams in the world. The major dams built on the Missouri were Fort Peck (near Glasgow, Montana), Garrison (North Dakota), and Gavin’s Point, Fort Randall, and Oahe (South Dakota). The Missouri River flows from Montana's Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson Rivers for 2,341 miles to the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, Missouri. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Missouri-River, Social Studies for Kids - Missouri River, United States, Missouri River - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Missouri River - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). In addition to the locations already mentioned, the other chief cities along the Missouri are Williston, North Dakota; Council Bluffs, Iowa; Omaha and Nebraska City, Nebraska; Atchison and Leavenworth, Kansas; and Columbia and St. Charles, Missouri. More Nile River facts. It enters the state of North Dakota and then it turns south. The Mississippi flows through the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin in United States of America. River and Water Trivia. Steamboat traffic on the river reached its height in 1858 but began to decline in the following year with the completion of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railway to St. Joseph, Missouri. Comparable to the size of the Canadian province of Quebec, the watershed encompasses most of the central Great Plains, stretching from the Rocky Mountains in the west to the Mississippi River Valley in the east and from the southern extreme of western Canada to the border of the Arkansas River… There are about 100 historic sites along the trail. The Missouri River is the longest river in North America. However, the present course was formed about 115,000 years ago when streams from the Rocky Mountains were diverted by glaciers. Black Eagle Dam and (foreground) Black Eagle Falls on the Missouri River, near Great Falls, west-central Montana, U.S. Fort Peck Dam on the Missouri River near Glasgow, northeastern Montana, U.S. It spends 783 miles in Montana before crossing into North Dakota.. The Missouri River drops a total of 612 feet (187 m) from the first of the falls to the last, which includes a combined 187 feet (57 m) of vertical plunges and 425 feet (130 m) of riverbed descent. The second longest river in the world is the Amazon River, it reaches around 6400 kilometres in length (4000 miles). Missouri is located in the mid-western United States and it shares borders with eight different states … More than ten major groups of Native Americans populated the watershed, most leading a nomadic lifestyle and dependent on enormous buffalo herds that once roamed through the Great Plains. The Missouri River is quite a wonder to behold and holds a prominent place in the history of our great nation. It drains a watershed of approximately 580,000 square miles. The Missouri River flows for 2,315 miles (3,726 kilometers) through the central United States. The Mississippi River flows through more than just Mississippi alone. For many years commerce on the river was restricted to the fur trade, and the river was little used by the earliest American settlers moving west. The Missouri River basin is home to a wide variety of animal and plant life. For most of its course, the Missouri flows across the Great Plains, one of the driest parts of North America. Agricultural runoff, irresponsible development, and industrial waste are all … The river was largely impacted by the Ice Age because of a large glacier that flowed south from Canada and diverted the river's flow to the Gulf of Mexico, where it remains today. In the 1970, some people imported Bighead and silver carps, also know as Asian Carps. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet reached the mouth of the Missouri in 1673. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Missouri River, longest tributary of the Mississippi River and second longest river in North America. The first Europeans to see the Missouri River were the Frenchmen Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet, in 1673, when floating down the Mississippi. For over 12,000 years, people have depended on the Missouri River and its tributaries as a source of sustenance and transportation. One of the steamboats, the Arabia, was buried under (12 meters) 40 feet of mud and remained missing for over a century before being found 0.8 kilometers (half a mile) from the present course of the river. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Today, the river is used primarily for commerce, although some river cruises go up and down the "Muddy Mo." Over time, we've collected numerous facts on rivers, which we're willing to share. The river can be followed by walking along the Lewis and Clark historic trail, which follows the entire length of the river. He arrived on May 8 th, 1541.: Hernando de Soto named the river Rio del Espiritu Santo, which means 'river of the Holy Spirit'. Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet were the first Europeans to set foot on the land in 1673 … They are estimated to be 70 to 90 million years old. During the 20th century, the Missouri River basin was extensively developed for irrigation, flood control and the generation of hydroelectric power. For millennia, the area around the upper Missouri River was home to Native American peoples such as the Blackfeet, Hidatsa, and Crow. The Missouri first flows northward and northeastward (via Great Falls) through western Montana before turning eastward across the northern portion of the state. Meramec River, tributary of the Mississippi River rising in the Ozark Mountains, near Salem in Dent county, southeastern Missouri, U.S.The river winds 207 miles (333 km) generally north, northeast, and southeast through the limestone Meramec Caverns and Meramec State Park (near Sullivan) to enter the Mississippi River 20 miles (32 km) below St. Louis. Corrections? About The Missouri River While the ghosts and ghouls of Halloween costumes disappear after October 31st, the very real and very scary problems facing the Missouri River are not going anywhere. … Steamboats were a popular means of transport along the river during the early 19th century. The longest river in the USA is the Missouri River, stretching around 2,340 miles (3,770 km) in length (slightly longer than the Mississippi River). Many of these interesting facts were borrowed from the Brita water filter site (www.brita.com). However, we believe them to be accurate. 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. It is nearly as long as the Mississippi River, which it joins at its mouth. Length of the Mississippi River. The Missouri River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, is about 100 miles longer. The Missouri River is the world’s 15th-longest river. 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