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A Photographic Journey up the Missouri River in North Dakota - Lake Oahe to the Cannonball River

Photographs of the Missouri River at Bismarck and Mandan

Lake Oahe, Long Lake, and Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S.A. April 1994

Visible in this low-oblique photograph is the northern end of Lake Oahe [250 miles (403 kilometers) long], which ends approximately 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota (barely discernible at left center). Bismarck is located on rolling hills overlooking the Missouri River. Hook-shaped, ice-covered Long Lake and Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge are visible. Much of Lake Oahe is also ice covered.

Credit: NASA's Earth From Space web site http://earth.jsc.nasa.gov

Antelope Herd

Lewis and Clark saw many Pronghorn Antelope in North Dakota, particularly in the Cannonball River area.  Their journals referred to these cloven-hooved mammals by many different names, including Cabre, Cabri, Cabra, Cabra ko ka, Anteleope, and Goats.  

According to the publication Birds and Mammals Observed by Lewis & Clark in North Dakota, by Russell Reid and Clell Gannon, 13 Pronghorns were killed in North Dakota by the Lewis & Clark Expedition (1999).

Credit: National Park Service

Lewis and Clark repeatedly mention vast herds of buffalo throughout North Dakota.  According to the publication Birds and Mammals Observed by Lewis & Clark in North Dakota, 63 were killed in North Dakota by the Lewis & Clark Expedition (Reid, 1999).

Credit: National Park Service

American Elk

"Vast herds of elk were seen all along the valley of the Missouri. 111 killed." (Reid, 1999)

Credit: National Park Service

Northern Pacific Railroad Bridge, Cannonball River at Breien

Flood of April 1950

Credit: U.S. Geological Survey

Cannonball River at Cannonball, looking upstream

Credit: U.S. Geological Survey

Aerial photograph of the Cannonball River entering Lake Oahe

September 20, 1997

Credit: U.S. Geological Survey

Grayish white sandstone at the top of the Fox Hills sandstone in the south bank of the Cannonball River, 3.5 miles west of Solen, Sioux County, North Dakota.

ca. 1923

Credit: Plate 4-A in U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 158, 1930.

Cannonball Concretions on display at the Paul Broste Rock Museum, Parshall, North Dakota

May 2003

Credit: U.S. Geological Survey

"Set out early proceeded on at 6 mls passed the mouth of la Boulet (or Cannon Ball River) about 140 yards wide on the L. S. . . . above the mouth of the river Great numbers of Stone perfectly round with fine Grit are in the Bluff and on the Shore, the river takes its name from those Stones which resemble Cannon Balls."
Captain Clark, Thursday, October 18, 1804

September 2002

Credit: U.S. Geological Survey

Lake Oahe, approximately 20 miles south of Bismarck, North Dakota

Credit: North Dakota Tourism Department

References

Reid, Russell and Clell G. Gannon. 1999. Birds and Mammals Observed by Lewis & Clark in North Dakota. North Dakota History: 66(2):2-14. Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Home Page. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/wildlife/bmam/index.htm (Version 16MAR2000).

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