Gavins Point Dam & Lewis & Clark Lake

Gavins Point Dam is a 1.9 mile long embankment rolled-earth and chalk-fill dam which spans the Missouri River and impounds Lewis and Clark Lake. The dam joins Cedar County, Nebraska with Yankton County, South Dakota, a distance of 811.1 river miles upstream of St. Louis, Missouri, where the river joins the Mississippi River. The dam and hydroelectric power plant were constructed as the Gavins Point Project from 1952 to 1957 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Pick-Sloan Plan. The dam is located approximately 4 miles west or upstream of Yankton, South Dakota. Gavins Point Dam began operating in 1955 as a key part of a system of six large federal dam and reservoir projects that reduce flood risks for the populations and urban and agricultural properties downstream along the mainstream Missouri River. The smallest and furthest downstream of the mainstream projects, Gavins Point Dam stretches across the upper Missouri River in the southeastern corner of South Dakota and northeastern Nebraska. The dam is named after Gavins Point, a bluff along the northern bank of the Missouri River named for an early settler, now within the western end of Lewis & Clark Recreation Area, which was to be the original location of construction of the dam. The location was moved and construction began further downstream along Calumet Bluff because this location offered a shorter span distance and less fill material needed for dam construction, although the project kept the original name. The dam operations work in conjunction with the other Pick-Sloan Program Dams to assist with conservation, control, and use of water resources in the Missouri River Basin. The intended beneficial

uses of these water resources include flood control, aids to navigation, irrigation, supplemental water supply, power generation, municipal and industrial water supplies, stream-pollution abatement, sediment control, preservation and enhancement of fish and wildlife, and creation of recreation opportunities.

Lewis and Clark Lake

Gavins Point Dam creates Lewis and Clark Lake, a popular regional tourist destination for water-based recreational opportunities including boating and fishing, along with camping, hiking, hunting, bird watching, swimming, biking and and photography. These activities are managed by the State of South Dakota, State of Nebraska, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The lake is approximately 25 miles in length with over 90 miles of shoreline and a maximum water depth of 45 feet. More than two million visitors visit Lewis and Clark Lake each year. Recreation areas around the lake offer boat ramps, marinas, campgrounds, and day-use areas. The upper stretches of the lake are renowned for their superior waterfowl viewing and hunting opportunities along the Missouri River flyway. Located downstream of the lake is the 59-mile reach of the Missouri National Recreational River which stretches eastward from the dam to Ponca State Park. For the biking and hiking enthusiasts, three trails are available in the area. They include a paved trail that

runs from Yankton to the Gavins Point area, a multiuse trail in the Gavins Point area and the Calumet Bluff hiking trail located near the visitor center. Wintertime activities include ice fishing, crosscountry skiing, snowmobiling, and sledding. The Lewis and Clark Visitor Center is located just south of Gavins Point Dam atop Calumet Bluff with views of Lewis and Clark Lake, Lake Yankton, and the Missouri River below the dam. The visitor center is open daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend and open weekdays during other times of the year. The visitor center interprets the history of the Missouri River Basin, including Native Americans, pioneers, the Lewis and Clark Expedition (which traveled through the area), along with local wildlife and the history of the Corps of Engineers in the area. A theater shows educational videos on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, construction of Gavins Point Dam, and the natural history of the Missouri River Region. A bookstore offers educational books, videos, and other merchandise for sale.

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