A SCOPING STUDY OF WATER QUALITY CONDITIONS IN THE MISSOURI NATIONAL RECREATIONAL RIVER REACH FROM NEAR GAVINS POINT DAM TO PONCA STATE PARK, NEBRASKA

Authors

Date of this Version

2002

Comments

Published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (2002) 1-50

Abstract

The unchannelized reach of the Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam has several ongoing water resource management issues that involve and affect the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). Water quality management considerations are of particular importance to three issues: 1) management of a portion of the reach as a recreational river under the Federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, 2) the reach is included in an action area identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) for three species (pallid sturgeon, least tern, and piping plover) identified as being in jeopardy, and 3) the State of Nebraska has given the reach Tier 3 protection under the antidegradation provisions of the state’s water quality standards and Federal Clean Water Act (CWA). To facilitate identification of water quality management concerns and information needs regarding these issues, the Omaha District’s Water Quality Unit (ODWQU) conducted a scoping study of water quality conditions on the portion of the reach from Gavins Point Dam to Ponca State Park, Nebraska.