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Show waterfalls. Water recreation opportunities also occur in the Ozark Mountains. However, opportunities for water recreation are severely limited over most of the plains. Through- out the plains area, facilities and opportunities are all but lacking. The high silt content and variable flow of most plains streams make them unattractive for recreational purposes. There are few natural lakes. As a result, man-made water bodies are in- tensively used for recreation purposes wherever they are provided. One exception to the general situation is water- fowl hunting in the northern Great Plains. The lakes, small ponds, and swamps scattered over eastern North and South Dakota and in the Sand Hills support waterfowl in considerable numbers. These natural water bodies are supplemented by many small irrigation reservoirs and stock ponds. The whole basin has been the home of much of the big game of the country. Here great herds of buffalo roamed, and their trails can still be seen crossing from one valley to another. Here also were deer, antelope, elk, and moose, which still can be found in the mountains and sparsely popu- lated areas. This area was perhaps one of the richest wildlife areas of the world, but it has rapidly been despoiled. Some of the former species are now preserved in the national parks and monuments. Others are available for hunting in the national forests, in the mountains and along streams where the nat- ural wildlife habitat has not been disturbed. Special provisions for recreation and fish and wildlife.-On Bureau of Reclamation projects, special recreation facilities have been installed at Angostura, Enders, and Medicine Creek. At the two completed reservoir projects of the Corps of Engineers, Fort Peck and Kanopolis, recreation facilities also have been installed. The Fish and Wildlife Service has in operation some 50 units in the basin for fish and waterfowl propagation. Of interest is the chain of lakes in the adjacent Souris River Basin. Here two tracts on the river, 237 miles apart, with areas of about 32 and 59 thousand acres were developed. A reservoir provided 100 second-feet of continuous flow which spread over the land, repaired the damage done when the lands mistakenly were drained to permit agriculture, restored wildlife habitat, and provided a continuous flow in the river for all purposes. The two reservoirs currently harbor 3,000,000 birds. In addition, fur-bearing animals are coming back. Multiple-Purpose Aspects of the Program Completed Projects Both of the essentially complete reservoirs of the Corps of Engineers have multiple-purpose features. Fort Peck Reservoir is used to generate power, and helps to reduce floods and to maintain navigable channel depths downstream. Upon completion of some of the other main stem dams, Fort Peck will be one of a series to be operated in coordination for flood control, and stream regulation for power, irrigation, water supply, pollution abatement, and navigation. The nearly completed Kanopolis Reservoir on the Smoky Hill River in Kansas is primarily a flood control reservoir, but will also be used for irri- gation and recreation. The Bureau of Reclamation has five multiple- purpose projects in operation in the basin. These are the Riverton, Shoshone, Colorado-Big Thomp- son, North Platte, and Kendrick projects for irri- gation and power. Projects under Construction The Corps of Engineers has three large multi- ple-purpose reservoirs under construction-Fort Randall, Oahe, and Garrison. Each provides flood control, irrigation, navigation, and power. Harlan County Reservoir on the Republican River in Ne- braska has flood control and irrigation benefits. The channel work along the Missouri from Sioux City to the mouth will provide a navigable chan- nel but it also has important bank stabilization benefits. Most of the numerous units of the Reclamation program have multiple-purpose features. Many have irrigation and flood control benefits. Others also have power and municipal water supply bene- fits. Some of them store water to maintain mini- mum flows. Others have fish and wildlife and recreation benefits, or navigation benefits. These will exist in a wide variety of combinations. 186 |
