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Recreation, Dams & Hydropower

Fact Sheets

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Prevent invasive species Water Safety Reserve a campsite at USACE campgrounds at Recreation.gov Purchase Navigation and Boating Maps from the Jefferson National Parks Association

Lake Guard App
Test your speed, reflexes and boating knowledge with the Corps' new Lake Guard game app. The free app teaches users about water safety gear and boating hazards preparing them for real life experiences in or around the water.
Learn MoreWater Safety
Missouri River Basin Balancer
The Missouri River Basin Balancer offers insight into the inland waterway of the Missouri River and its system of reservoirs, which are operated with a goal for serving each of the benefits, flood control, navigation, hydropower, irrigation, water supply, recreation, fish and wildlife, and water quality, for which the Mainstem reservoirs were authorized and constructed. Users can take charge of river operations and experience the unique challenges presented when managing reservoir operations in a variety of weather conditions across a geographically diverse basin.
Missouri River Basin Balancer
Picnicing at Gavins Point Project
A group picnics at the Training Dike Recreation area at Gavins Point Project
East Totten Trail Campground
The East Totten Trail Campground is among the several public recreation areas on Lake Sakakawea near Riverdale, N.D.
Chatfield Dam and Lake
Chatfield dam and reservoir are owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps leases 5,381 land and water acres to the State of Colorado Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation to operate Chatfield State Park.
Fort Randall Dam and Lake Francis Case
Lake Francis Case and Fort Randall Dam are located within the rolling plain of the Missouri Plateau, and bordered by rugged bluffs, broken by a complex of eroded canyons and ravines and has become one of the most popular recreation spots in the Great Plains. Fort Randall Dam lies within view of the military post from which it takes its name. The name of the original fort honored Colonel Daniel W. Randall, one-time deputy paymaster of the Army.
Dam and Hydropower projects are part of what makes the Corps the largest provider of water-based outdoor recreation in the nation. The Omaha District has several lake and river projects providing diverse recreational opportunities.
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Visitors of all ages can enjoy traditional activities like hiking, boating, fishing, camping and hunting, and for those slightly more adventurous there is snorkeling, windsurfing, whitewater rafting, mountain biking and geo-caching. Regardless of your favorite outdoor activity one thing is certain, recreation enriches people's lives. A visit to an Army Corps of Engineers' recreation area can strengthen family ties and friendships; create unforgettable memories and connect people to nature that will last a lifetime.
 
Between 1932 and 1957, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built six main stem dams and many smaller dams along Missouri River tributaries. These, along with a system of federal and private levees, reduce flooding risks for urban and agricultural property and lives throughout the Missouri River watershed. The Omaha District estimates that this system has prevented an estimated billions in damages in today's dollars.
 
Many of these projects, which were built primarily for navigation, flood control or other purposes, are also used for hydropower production. The Corps is the Nation's largest single producer of hydroelectricity. Nationwide, the Corps operates 75 hydropower projects, housing 349 generator units with a total capacity of 20.7 million kilowatts, or about 3.5 percent of the Nation's total electric power production.

Recreation Area News Releases

  • Landowners reminded to obtain permit for activity affecting Missouri River

    Landowners adjacent to the Missouri River, including Lake Sakakawea and Lake Oahe, are reminded that obtaining a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is required for any activity in or affecting the Missouri River system. Types of activities that require permits include, but are not limited to: boat docks, intake systems, bank stabilization, dredging and maintenance to any existing structure or permitted activity.

  • Corps approves first surplus water supply agreement for Lake Sakakawea

    The first Surplus Water Agreement, authorized by Section 6 of the 1944 Flood Control Act, allowing the temporary withdrawal of water from Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota, was signed by the Omaha District Commander Col. Joel R. Cross late yesterday evening.

  • Corps enters partnership with Collingsworth Foundation to promote water safety

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District has formally partnered with the Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation to promote water safety within the Omaha District including Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, South Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska.

  • Winter Access policy for Corps recreation areas in North Dakota now available

    The 2012-2013 winter access policy for western and central North Dakota including Lake Sakakawea and Lake Audubon is now available. Ryan Newman, lake manager, said, "The lake has not yet frozen over, but with the recent cold weather it won’t be long. We urge everyone to exercise extreme caution. Thin ice or open water may exist near springs and pressure ridges throughout the winter."

  • Spillway slab project set to begin at Gavins Point Dam

    Repair work is set to begin on the concrete slab below the Gavins Point Dam Spillway this Monday, Nov. 26. The slab was damaged when record amounts of water were released from the spillway during the Flood of 2011.