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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

  • Partial Gavins Point road closure to have limited impact on traffic

    Maintenance on the street lights across Gavins Point Dam, near Yankton, SD, will cause part of Crest Road to be closed, but will only have limited impact on traffic. The road will be closed on Wednesday, July 11 from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m.

  • Draft EA for surplus water use at Lewis and Clark Lake, NE available for public comment

    A draft environmental assessment for a surplus water request at Lewis and Clark Lake in Nebraska is currently available for public review. The draft EA evaluates the use of surplus water and the environmental impacts of installing and operating a water intake structure to withdraw 1.33 acre-feet per year for domestic use on private property. Comments must be received or postmarked by July 30, 2018.

  • Draft EA for surplus water use at Lake Francis Case, SD available for public comment

    A draft environmental assessment for a surplus water request at Lake Francis Case in South Dakota is currently available for public review. The draft EA evaluates the use of surplus water and the environmental impacts of replacing aging infrastructure to allow an additional 3,358 acre-feet to be used for municipal purposes by the Randall Community Water District (RCWD). Comments must be received or postmarked by July 30, 2018.

  • East Totten Trail Temporary Ramp Closure

    East Totten Trail Temporary Ramp Closure at Lake Audubon to notify the public. The ramp will be closed starting June 18th for a two week time frame and will have impacts to those wanting to boat/fish in the area.

  • Garrison Dam releases increased

    In order to meet the 44,000 cfs release, the Garrison Project initiated releases of 3,000 cfs through its regulating tunnels. This release supplements the 41,000 cfs release through the power plant for a combined release of 44,000 cfs.