Rivers missouri map

The reservoirs and dams affect the rivers upstream and downstream from them, and their dams prevent aquatic animals from moving past them, particularly upstream. The following major rivers and their systems of tributary streams are prime examples of the Ozark Aquatic Faunal Region.

The rather fast-flowing, clear, cool waters of Ozark streams, their substrates, and their water chemistry are home to many plants and animals not usually found elsewhere in the state. Much of the lowlands are not much higher than the Mississippi River itself, being less than feet above sea level. Streams in the Mississippi lowlands are very flat and have sandy, alluvial river-deposited substrates.

Historically, this area was nearly always flooded by Mississippi River backwaters and covered with swamps wooded with bald cypress trees, but starting in about , people cleared the forests and constructed channels and ditches to drain the wetlands. Vast, sunny fields of cotton and other row crops now dominate the Bootheel. What remains of the plants and animals that are native to that area are now confined to drainage ditches of various sizes, plus Mingo Swamp, Otter Slough, and other publicly owned nature preserves.

Many of these plants and animals are found only in the Bootheel and nowhere else in the state. The lower St. Francis, Black, and Little Black rivers are the principal, essentially natural streams left in this region.

Water clarity is low to moderate, substrates are silty, occasionally with small gravel. There are few riffles, and the usually tree-lined stream channels consist mostly of pools with little or no current. The ditches vary widely in size, flow, clarity, substrate, and vegetation.

Major ditches amount to small rivers, with uniform depth, considerable current, and little vegetative cover. Smaller ditches can have a swift current, often with sand or small gravel substrate, or little current at all, often with silt and organic debris at the bottom.

Smaller ditches can have abundant submerged aquatic vegetation. What remains of the unique swampy ecosystems of the Bootheel, and the plants and animals that now live in the remaining streams, drainage ditches, and canals, are often quite distinct from their relatives that live in rest of our state.

Our two biggest rivers, the Missouri and Mississippi, are so different from our other aquatic habitats that they constitute their own aquatic faunal region. The water conditions of these rivers are less influenced by local conditions than by the rainfall and runoff from all the land they drain — indeed, much of the United States.

Since they have been channelized, their flow is swift and constant, and public engineers continually monitor and dredge the channel, to keep it deep enough for barge traffic.

Animals living in the Missouri and the Mississippi must withstand the strong current and turbidity. Channels and levees have eliminated much of the wetland habitat that used to occur along the river bottoms, but after catastrophic floods in recent decades, people have been more receptive to the idea of establishing wetland buffer zones to absorb floodwaters.

Oxbows, backwaters, and the mouths of tributary creeks and rivers are connected to big rivers. In the upper Mississippi, navigation pools are created by locks and dams. These associated, but very different, calmer places are where many big river species retreat seasonally, and where many other species live their lives. The swift currents, unstable substrates, and deep, turbid, murky water create a challenging environment for plants and animals.

Note that organisms are not evenly distributed throughout the Missouri and Mississippi. For example, although some fishes are found throughout both rivers, others occur only in certain sections. Some typical distribution patterns include:.

Its streams are typically clear, cool, and fast-flowing, with high gradients and chert bottoms. The rivers and streams of northern and part of western Missouri flow through plains once covered by tallgrass prairie. These streams typically have broad, flat valleys, low gradients, silty, sandy, or gravelly bottoms, and turbid water.

The lowland rivers and streams have been altered, too. Although some states border an ocean, and some have majestic mountains, Missouri boasts two major, world-class, continent-draining rivers. Bodies of standing water — lakes, ponds, and reservoirs — have characteristics that separate them from streams, rivers, marshes, and wetlands.

Learning about them helps you understand the plants and animals that live in them. Wetlands are a transition zone between land and aquatic environments, and they protect the quality of both.

A rich variety of plants and animals live in wetlands. True bottomland forests occur on rich, deep soils in low places that are seasonally wet. Canopy trees are usually sycamore, pin oak, bur oak, silver maple, cottonwood, and black walnut. Caves with creeks, groundwater, or springs are known as aquatic or wet caves.

Many rare and vulnerable animals call these dark, wet tunnels home. Only in its upper reaches does the Missouri shed that image. There, even a slow-motion summer float through the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument can offer a back-to-the-wilderness sensation, where the mile Wild and Scenic section of the river winds downstream from Fort Benton, Montana, to the Charlie Russell National Wildlife Refuge.

River runners can still camp at the same sites used by the explorers. Fishermen may encounter some rare native species in the area, including prehistoric-looking paddlefish or the endangered pallid sturgeon among some species of fish within the entire Missouri River Basin.

The basin also supports species of birds and a variety of mammals including trophy elk, whitetails, and mule deer that support a significant seasonal hunting economy. Even the occasional wayward grizzly has been reported near Fort Benton. Several other threatened and endangered species are making a stand along the Missouri, although restoring fish and wildlife populations to historic levels will require flow modifications, protecting and restoring habitat, and adaptively managing the river system.

Major floods have always been a fact of life along the Missouri. For more than 75 years, Congress has directed the U. Army Corps of Engineers to administer flood control, navigation, and irrigation on the Missouri by impounding, channelizing, and dredging the river. The Little Black River contains numerous state listed sites for plants, mussels, and fish the Harlequin Darter state endangered , pugnose minnow state watch list , Pallid shiner state extirpated and taillight shiner state endangered and an unusual assemblage of fen complexes deep muck, prairie, forested.

The Little Black River is designated as a Missouri Outstanding State Water Resource where it flows through the Mudpuppy and as the only remaining habitat for the Curtis' pearly mussel state endangered, federal endangered.

It is located in the Ozark-Black River Aquatic Division and is the largest remaining essentially unchannelized, unregulated lowland stream left in Missouri. Butler County is in the process of being inventoried.

It is fed by many large springs and is critical habitat for the Niangua darter federal threatened , which is endemic to this division and very sensitive to disturbance. Three great blue heron rookeries and a medium population maternity cave for the federally endangered gray bat are additional features.

It is noted for limited watershed development, excellent water quality, and diverse natural fauna. It is listed as an Outstanding State Resource Water in Missouri from its mouth to S21, T35N, R8W where it flows past the Mark Twain National Forest for 30 miles; and is noted for its limited watershed development, high quality, and diverse natural fauna, including one great blue heron rookery.

The grotto salamander state watch list is found at Little Piney Spring. There is some gravel mining and introduced rainbow trout are stocked.

Francois River. Numerous "shut-ins", constricted valleys formed by water flow through very resistant igneous rock, characterize streams in the St. Francois Mountains. This river provides excellent white water canoeing.

At least 15 miles are runnable below Highway 72 with adequate water. The lower end is one of the most beautiful small river white water runs in the state.

It has one set of rapids, one shut-in, and several reddish porphyry bluffs. The Little St. There is one great blue heron rookery and several narrow sandstone canyons in its headwaters in St. Francois County. Highway 36 to Grand River 18 Locust Creek Natural Area represents last remnant landform types in northern Missouri of an active meandering river system and associated oxbow sloughs, swamps, and rich flood plain forests; one of last unchannelized, undisturbed landform features in northern Missouri; high recreation potential, especially in and near Pershing State Park; historic covered bridge; one of best examples of aquatic community types in region.

Fish, Scenic, Wildlife North Fabius Mineral Fork Washington Highway F to Big River 15 High quality recreation, including floating, with good accessibility; good smallmouth bass and long-ear sunfish fishery; federally listed endangered Indiana bat may be found in the area. It is designated as critical habitat for the Niangua darter federal threatened , which is endemic to this division and very sensitive to disturbance.

It also supports a substantial population of bluestripe darter federal C2, state rare. Below Bennett Spring it is cold enough to support introduced trout. This segment of the river flows past a great blue heron rookery, 10 bluffs, 2 sloughs, a spring, a cave and a natural arch 3 feet in diameter.

The Osage Fork winds past numerous springs and bluffs, 2 dolomite arches, and 6 caves one historically used to produce saltpeter for gunpowder, one a shelter cave once used by Indians, another with gray bats federal and state endangered. The surrounding terrain is hilly and deeply dissected. The Osage Fork is important regionally and ranked as a significant headwater, creek and small river in the Ozark-Missouri Aquatic Division Pflieger, and is a high quality stream from the standpoint of habitat quality and faunal diversity.

There has been extensive clearing and grazing in the watershed. It winds past two great blue heron rookeries. In Webster County it supports the plains top minnow federal C2, state status undetermined and in Laclede and Webster Counties the least darter state watch list , as well as a substantial population of bluestripe darter federal C2, state rare.

Two locations have substantial populations of lake cress federal 3C, state status undetermined. Mammoth Springs National Natural Landmark is in the vicinity. Water quality is rated AA, extraordinary recreational and aesthetic value. The river is fed from Mammoth Spring and affords excellent trout fishing. It is an unusual river with small rapids but made exciting by small waterfalls throughout its length, formed as the river cuts across rock strata rather than following it.

The river is available for canoeing throughout the year because Mammoth Spring eliminates the river's dependence upon rainfall. The scenery is beautiful and river character, fish populations, and river meandering processes are strikingly different from the Spring River. Both rivers are near population centers and contribute to the diversity of ecosystems and recreation opportunities in north central Arkansas and southern Missouri.

It is very clear running; its watershed is largely forested and of limited development. There have been minimal impacts to the creek for the past 50 years where it flows within the old Carman Springs Wildlife Refuge. Prohibition from fishing for the last 50 years has allowed an unusually mature fish population structure to develop.

It is noted for its excellent water quality and diverse fish fauna.