Pristine

I took this photo a year ago. I was visiting Wagner, SD, and decided to drive over to see the Fort Randall dam and Lake Francis Case. It was one of those spring mornings that was windless, clear and cool.In South Dakota, the Missouri River has been "domesticated" by a series of 4 dams, each of which provides flood control, electricity and large bodies of water that are perfect for fisherman and sailors, though sailors are in the clear minority.To see what the Missouri river looks like just below the dam, check out this photo. And here's a satellite view of this location.

05-07-09 A Perfect Sunday Afternoon

To say that the Missouri River dams in South Dakota have changed the face of the river is an understatement. In the attempt to tame the river and tap its potential for irrigation and power, towns and burial burial sites were submerged and the original landscape of the "real" river was lost forever.

But just below the dams, I imagine that the River looks as close to what it might have looked like before the US Army Corps of Engineers brought in their heavy equipment. I also think that what you are seeing in this photo isn't significantly different from what the Lewis and Clark Expedition might have seen in 1803, when they made their way up-river.

They would have been blessed, as I was, to experience the quite calm of a Sunday afternoon on the Missouri River. View on Panoramio to see its geographical setting.

Canon 5DII 1/400s f/13.0 ISO250 45mm