Osage River

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Osage River
USACE Harry S Truman Dam Missouri.jpg
Osagerivermap.png
Map of the Osage River watershed showing the Niangua River
Location
Country United States
State Missouri
Kansas
Region Osage Plains, Ozarks
City Warsaw, Lake Ozark, Tuscumbia, St. Thomas
Physical characteristics
Source confluence 
 • location Vernon County, Missouri
 • coordinates 38°01′39″N94°14′39″W / 38.02750°N 94.24417°W / 38.02750; -94.24417
 • elevation722 ft (220 m)
Mouth Missouri River
 • location
 Bonnots Mill, Missouri
 • coordinates
 38°35′49″N91°56′43″W / 38.59694°N 91.94528°W / 38.59694; -91.94528 Coordinates: 38°35′49″N91°56′43″W / 38.59694°N 91.94528°W / 38.59694; -91.94528 [1]
 • elevation
518 ft (158 m)
Length276 mi (444 km)
Basin size15,300 sq mi (40,000 km2)
Discharge 
 • locationnear St. Thomas, MO
 • average10,879 cu ft/s (308.1 m3/s)
 • minimum640 cu ft/s (18 m3/s)
 • maximum216,000 cu ft/s (6,100 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • left Marais des Cygnes River,
South Grand River
 • right Little Osage River, Clear Creek, Sac River,
Pomme de Terre River, Niangua River
WatershedsOsage-Missouri-Mississippi

The Osage River is a 276-mile-long (444 km) [2] tributary of the Missouri River in central Missouri in the United States. The eighth-largest river in the state, it drains a mostly rural area of 15,300 square miles (40,000 km2). The watershed includes an area of east-central Kansas and a large portion of west-central and central Missouri, where it drains northwest areas of the Ozark Plateau.

Contents

The river flows generally easterly, then northeasterly for the final 80 miles (130 km) where it joins the Missouri River. It is impounded in two major locations. Most of the river has been converted into a chain of two reservoirs, the Harry S. Truman Reservoir and the Lake of the Ozarks.

Description

The Osage is formed in southwestern Missouri, approximately 14 miles (23 km) northeast of Nevada on the Bates-Vernon County line, by the confluence of the Marais des Cygnes and Little Osage Rivers; the Marais des Cygnes is sometimes counted as part of the river, placing its headwaters in eastern Kansas and bringing its total length to over 500 miles (800 km). The combined stream flows east past the Schell-Osage Wildlife Area into St. Clair County, widening into a long meandering arm of the Harry S. Truman Reservoir, approximately 40 miles (64 km) long. The lake receives the South Grand River as a second arm of the reservoir from the northwest, as well as the Pomme de Terre River from the south. The two arms of the reservoir join near the Harry S. Truman Dam in central Benton County.

Downstream from the Truman Dam, the river becomes the serpentine Lake of the Ozarks, stretching eastward for nearly 92 miles (148 km) to Bagnell Dam in Camden County and southwestern Miller County. Constructed in 1931, the dam collects the Niangua River. Downstream from the dam, the Osage flows freely to the northeast in broad oxbow meanders through forested bluffs, joining the Missouri approximately 15 miles (24 km) east and downstream of Jefferson City.

History

Views of cofferdam, where new Chanoine Dam is under construction, November 3, 1909 Lock and Dam construction. Osage River, Missouri - NARA - 285931.tif
Views of cofferdam, where new Chanoine Dam is under construction, November 3, 1909

The river is named for the Osage Nation, [3] the historic indigenous people who dominated this region at the time when the first European settlers arrived. The river presented significant navigation difficulties for early settlers because of its fluctuating water levels, as well as the presence of shallow pools and sand bars caused by its tight meandering course through the hills.

The Missouri Legislature attempted as early as 1839 to deepen the channel of the river. Early attempts failed because of lack of funding for the immense task. Commercial navigation on the river in the 19th century was confined mostly to smaller craft that could navigate the tight bends and shoals of the river. Improvements in the channel by the last two decades of the century led to greater commercial traffic. These changes made the lower reaches of the river navigable for steamboat commerce for a period of six to nine months out of the year.

In the 20th century, federal construction of the Bagnell Dam, primarily to generate hydroelectricity, began in 1922 and was completed after nine years. It effectively ended commercial navigation on the river. The Truman Dam was authorized by the federal Flood Control Act of 1954 and was completed in 1979.

The two dams on the river generate power for the St. Louis metropolitan area. The large reservoirs have become popular tourist destinations and recreation areas in the region.

See also

Related Research Articles

Missouri River Major river in the central United States

The Missouri River is the longest river in North America. Rising in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana, the Missouri flows east and south for 2,341 miles (3,767 km) before entering the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, Missouri. The river drains a sparsely populated, semi-arid watershed of more than 500,000 square miles (1,300,000 km2), which includes parts of ten U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. Although nominally considered a tributary of the Mississippi, the Missouri River above the confluence is much longer and carries a comparable volume of water. When combined with the lower Mississippi River, it forms the world's fourth longest river system.

Kansas River River in northeastern Kansas, United States

The Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwesternmost part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwesternmost portion of the extensive Mississippi River drainage. Its two names both come from the Kanza (Kaw) people who once inhabited the area; Kansas was one of the anglicizations of the French transcription Cansez of the original kką:ze. The city of Kansas City, Missouri, was named for the river, as was later the state of Kansas.

Arkansas River Major tributary of the Mississippi River, United States

The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas River Valley. The headwaters derive from the snowpack in the Sawatch and Mosquito mountain ranges. It flows east into the Midwest via Kansas, and finally into the South through Oklahoma and Arkansas.

White River (Arkansas–Missouri)

The White River is a 722-mile (1,162 km) river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri. Originating in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, it arcs northwards through southern Missouri before turning back into Arkansas, flowing southeast to its mouth at the Mississippi River.

Bagnell Dam Dam in 617 River Rd., Lakeside, Missouri

Bagnell Dam impounds the Osage River in the U.S. state of Missouri, creating the Lake of the Ozarks. The dam is located in the city of Lakeside in Miller County, near the Camden-Miller County line. The 148-foot (45 m) tall concrete gravity dam was built by the Union Electric Company to generate hydroelectric power at its Osage Powerplant. It is 2,543 feet (775 m) long, including a 520-foot (160 m) long spillway and a 511-foot (156 m) long power station. The facility with eight generators has a maximum capacity of 215 megawatts.

Lake of the Ozarks

Lake of the Ozarks is a reservoir created by impounding the Osage River in the northern part of the Ozarks in central Missouri. Parts of three smaller tributaries to the Osage are included in the impoundment: the Niangua River, Grandglaize Creek, and Gravois Creek. The lake has a surface area of 54,000 acres (220 km2) and 1,150 miles (1,850 km) of shoreline. The main channel of the Osage Arm stretches 92 miles (148 km) from end to end. The total drainage area is over 14,000 square miles (36,000 km2). The lake's serpentine shape has earned it the nickname "Puff The Magic Dragon", which has in turn inspired the names of local institutions such as The Magic Dragon Street Meet.

Truman Reservoir

The Harry S. Truman Reservoir is located in the state of Missouri, United States. It is located between Clinton and Warsaw, on the Osage River and extends south to Osceola. The dam is located in Benton County, but the reservoir also extends into parts of Henry, St. Clair, and Hickory counties.

Route 7 is a state highway with its northern terminus at U.S. Route 24 in northeast Independence and its southern terminus at Interstate 44 southeast of Richland. The section between Harrisonville and Clinton provides an important link for traffic between Springfield and Kansas City.

Sac River

The Sac River is a river in the Ozarks of Southwest Missouri. It is 118 miles (190 km) long, with headwaters in western Greene County. The stream passes through the northeast corner of Lawrence County then re-enters Greene County. The stream enters Dade County northwest of Ash Grove. The stream enters Stockton Lake in Dade County between Dadeville and Greenfield, then flows north exiting Stockton Lake in Cedar County. The stream meanders north into St. Clair County, passes under US Route 54 and enters the Osage River in Truman Reservoir southeast of Osceola.

Neosho River

The Neosho River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. Its tributaries also drain portions of Missouri and Arkansas. The river is about 463 miles (745 km) long. Via the Arkansas, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed. Its name is an Osage word meaning "clear water." The lower section is also known as the Grand River.

Great Flood of 1951

In mid-July 1951, heavy rains led to a great rise of water in the Kansas River, Missouri River, and other surrounding areas of the central United States. Flooding occurred in the Kansas, Neosho, Marais Des Cygnes, and Verdigris river basins. The damage in June and July 1951 across eastern Kansas and Missouri exceeded $935 million. The flooding killed 17 people and displaced 518,000 more.

Marais des Cygnes River

The Marais des Cygnes River is a principal tributary of the Osage River, about 217 miles (349 km) long, in eastern Kansas and western Missouri in the United States. Via the Osage and Missouri rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.

Little Osage River

The Little Osage River is an 88-mile-long (142 km) tributary of the Osage River in eastern Kansas and western Missouri in the United States. Via the Osage and Missouri rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.

Pomme de Terre River (Missouri)

The Pomme de Terre River is a 130-mile-long (210 km) tributary of the Osage River in southwestern Missouri in the United States. Via the Osage and Missouri rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.

Niangua River

The Niangua River is a 125-mile-long (201 km) tributary of the Osage River in the Ozarks region of southern and central Missouri in the United States. Via the Osage and Missouri rivers it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.

Judy Company is a geotechnical engineering firm located in Kansas City, Kansas. It was founded in 1922 by a geological engineer named Philip S. Judy, using the name Air Made Well Company.

Melvern Lake

Melvern Dam is a dam in Osage County, Kansas.

Kings River (Arkansas)

The Kings River is a tributary of the White River. It rises in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas and flows northward for more than 90 miles into Table Rock Lake in Missouri. The Arkansas portion of the river is undammed and bordered by rural and forested land, the river is popular for paddling and sport fishing.

Papinville, Missouri

Papinville is an unincorporated community in southern Bates County, Missouri.

The South Grand River is a stream in Bates, Cass, Henry and Benton counties of west central Missouri. It is a tributary of the Osage River.

References

  1. ↑ "Osage River". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey . Retrieved 2015-12-04.
  2. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine , accessed May 31, 2011
  3. ↑ "Cole County Place Names, 1928–1945 (archived)". The State Historical Society of Missouri. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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