WSP06216

• File Number: 8407.500
• Description: Platte River Basin - River Basin General Publications - Missouri River
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 5/1/1980
• Author: MRBC
• Title: Missouri River Basin Water Resources Management Plan - Part I - Chapters I-VI
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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CHAPTeR 2 - MISSOURI RIVER BASIN

The Missouri Basin is vast and diverse. This chapter describes its

diverse nature under five headings: physical characteristics, biological and
esthetic characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, water resources

characteristics, and legal and institutional characteristics. The description

provides a perspective for understanding the direction of and need for

implementing the regional plan for the Missouri River Basin.

The basin description is followed by an overview of the basinwide and

statewide components of the plan. The basinwide components, which are

presented in tabular form following the plan overview, are recommended programs

of significance to all or a large part of the Missouri River Basin. A series

of recommended statewide water resources programs follows the basinwide

programs section. The final section of this chapter presents conclusions and

additional recommendations of basinwide application.

It is important to note that the plan for each subbasin includes both the

material presented in the respective subbasin chapter and also the relevant

basinwide and statewide recommendations in this chapter.

DBSCRIPTION OF THB MISSOURI RIVER BASIN
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Missouri River Basin encompasses one-sixth of the contiguous area of

the United States. It is bounded by the Rocky Mountains on the west, by Canada
on the north, by the Sour is-Red River basins on the northeast, by the upper
Mississippi River basin on the east, and by the Arkansas-White-Red River basins
on the south. Figure 2-1 shows that the basin includes all of the State of
Nebraska; most of Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming; about half of Kansas,

Missouri and North Dakota;

2-1