Pick–Sloan Missouri Basin Program

Pick–Sloan Missouri Basin Program
Name	Pick–Sloan Missouri Basin Program
Type	Water resources development program
Established	1944
Location	Missouri River Basin, United States

Pick–Sloan Missouri Basin Program The Pick–Sloan Missouri Basin Program was a major mid-20th century United States federal water resources development initiative conceived to control floods, provide irrigation, generate hydroelectric power, facilitate navigation, and provide municipal and industrial water supply across the Missouri River Basin. It integrated engineering plans from Army engineer Lewis A. Pick and Bureau of Reclamation engineer William Glenn Sloan into a comprehensive plan adopted by Congress under the Flood Control Act of 1944. The program reshaped landscapes from Montana to Missouri, involved multiple federal agencies including the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the United States Bureau of Reclamation, and affected numerous Indigenous nations such as the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and Oglala Sioux Tribe.

Background and Planning

Origins trace to flood crises on the Missouri River and tributaries during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, notably the Great Flood of 1881 and the Great Flood of 1913, prompting studies by the Missouri River Commission, U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Resources Committee. Proposals by figures including Brigadier General Lewis A. Pick (Army Chief of Engineers) and William G. Sloan (Bureau of Reclamation) were influenced by earlier projects such as the Platte River Basin Project, Pick-Sloan predecessors, and regional development plans promoted by the Missouri Basin Association. Debates involved stakeholders like the Interstate Commerce Commission, Western Governors' Association, National Audubon Society, and representatives from South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Montana.

Design and Components

The plan combined Corps of Engineers proposals for large mainstem reservoirs and flood control works with Reclamation plans for irrigation and reclamation districts. Major components included multi-purpose dams and reservoirs at sites that became Fort Peck Dam, Garrison Dam, Oahe Dam, Big Bend Dam, and Gavins Point Dam, alongside projects on tributaries such as the Yellowstone River, Cheyenne River, Platte River, Heart River, and James River. Hydroelectric facilities were designed to interconnect with the Western Area Power Administration and the Missouri Basin Project power grid, while navigation improvements tied to the McClellan-Kerr Navigation System and the Missouri River Mainstem System aimed to benefit ports like Omaha, Nebraska, Sioux City, Iowa, and St. Louis, Missouri. Water management interfaces were planned with irrigation districts including the Pick-Sloan irrigation districts, reclaimed land units such as Lower Brule Indian Reservation allocations, and municipal projects serving Bismarck, North Dakota and Pierre, South Dakota.

Construction and Operations

Construction began during and after World War II, with major contractors including Anaconda Copper, Omaha-Dakota Construction, and firms based in Chicago, Illinois and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers led mainstem dam construction, the Bureau of Reclamation oversaw irrigation works, and agencies like the Bureau of Indian Affairs administered land and relocation aspects. Reservoir impoundments altered flows of the Missouri River and tributaries; operational rules were coordinated among entities including the Federal Power Commission (later Federal Energy Regulatory Commission), the Soil Conservation Service (later Natural Resources Conservation Service), and state water agencies in North Dakota and South Dakota. The program produced hydroelectric power feeding regional utilities such as Northern States Power Company and Montana Power Company, while navigation upgrades supported barging linked to the U.S. Army Transportation Corps logistics heritage.

Environmental and Social Impacts

Environmental consequences included habitat inundation affecting species and ecosystems tied to the Missouri River National Recreational River, impacts on migratory birds of the Missouri Coteau and wetlands like Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, and altered sediment transport influencing the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone. Social impacts involved displacement of thousands, particularly members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Crow Tribe, and Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe; loss of cultural sites and burial grounds; and changes to traditional economies tied to hunting, fishing, and foraging on reservations. Advocacy by organizations such as the National Congress of American Indians, Sierra Club, and tribal legal actions in courts like the United States Court of Claims highlighted claims for compensation and restoration. Scientific monitoring by institutions including United States Geological Survey, University of North Dakota, and South Dakota State University documented geomorphic and ecological shifts.

Legal, Political, and Economic Aspects

The program was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944 and implemented through appropriations by the United States Congress with oversight from committees including the House Committee on Public Works and the Senate Committee on Public Lands and Surveys. Legal disputes involved treaties such as the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 and the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, Indian claims adjudicated through the Indian Claims Commission, and litigation addressing takings under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Economic analyses from agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of Economic Analysis assessed benefits in flood damage reduction, hydroelectric revenue, recreation, and irrigation-induced agricultural production in regions around Pierre, South Dakota, Bismarck, North Dakota, and Lincoln, Nebraska. Political alliances and conflicts featured state governors, congressional delegations including representatives from South Dakota and North Dakota, and presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt through Harry S. Truman who influenced funding priorities.

Legacy, Controversies, and Reform Efforts

Legacy aspects include enduring infrastructure managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, contributions to midwestern electrification and navigation, and the creation of recreational lands like Lake Oahe Recreation Area and Lewis and Clark Lake. Controversies persist over tribal reparations, cultural resource protection, environmental restoration advocated by groups such as the Environmental Defense Fund and Natural Resources Defense Council, and proposed reforms like environmental flow regimes, dam removals debated in contexts such as the Elwha River Restoration precedent, and compensation frameworks advanced through the Cobell v. Salazar litigation environment. Contemporary initiatives by the Missouri River Recovery Program, interstate compacts including the Upper Missouri River Basin Compact, and congressional reviews continue to re-evaluate water allocation, habitat restoration, and socio-economic remedies for affected communities.

Category:Missouri River Category:United States water resource management