"the water...contains a half...Glass of ooze"
"The water we drink or the Common water of the missourie at this time, contains a half a Comm Wine Glass of ooze or mud to every pint-"
William Clark
June 21, 1804
The Missouri River of Lewis and Clark's era was wild and unpredictable. It earned the nickname "Big Muddy" due to the abundance of sand, sediment, silt, and clay. In a constant state of change, the river cut side channels, chutes, eddies, boils, sandbars, backwaters, and oxbows - strong currents in some places, slow in others. The flowing water cut into riverbanks, undercutting shorelines and felling trees into the constantly moving water.
Over time, the river meandered back and forth across the flood plain, touching the base of each bluff in tight serpantine [sic] curves. Sometimes these tight "u" shapped [sic] curves would "pinch-off," leaving an oxbow lake stranded from the river. Today the river is a bit different from the times of Lewis and Clark. Channels are maintained for navigation and flood control. Dams further up the river provide power generation, irrigation, recreation, and flood control.
Marker is at the intersection of River Road and Commercial Street, on the right when traveling north on River Road.
Courtesy hmdb.org
