Shore Vegetation of Lakes Oahe and Sakakawea, Mainstem Missouri River Reservoirs.

摘要

The upper Missouri River, from eastern Montana to South-eastern South Dakota, has six mainstream dams and reservoirs. Within this impounded segment of the Missouri River, 510 km are still free-flowing and 1444 km are impounded (Benson 1968). Two of the largest of these reservoirs are Lakes Oahe and Sakakawea. At maximum pool Lake Oahe is 402 km long, has a shoreline of 3783 km and a surface area of 152,227 ha. For Kake Sakakawea comparable values are 322 km in length, 2415 km of shoreline and 173,279 ha of surface area (Benson 1968). Water levels in both these lakes are highest during the summer and lowest during the winter. The land area around the lakes between high and low water levels is the shore. The shore area around each lake depends upon the magnitude and elevation of annual water level fluctuation combined with the angle of slope along the shore. Estimates of shore areas for these two lakes over the period 1969-1976, based on 1968 lake basin morphometry, are given. These areas represent a potential habitat for terrestrial plan and animal communities as well as a spawning habitat for certain fish species.