Fort Randall Dam
Fort Randall Dam is a earthen dam which spans the Missouri River and impounds Lake Francis Case, the 11th-largest reservoir in the U.S. The dam joins Gregory and Charles Mix counties, South Dakota, a distance of 880 river miles upstream of St. Louis, Missouri, where the river joins the Mississippi River. The dam and hydroelectric power plant were constructed by and are currently operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
History and background
Fort Randall Dam was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944 and plays a key role in the Pick–Sloan Plan for development of water resources in the Missouri River basin. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began construction of the dam in 1946, and was the first Pick–Sloan dam completed by the Omaha District. President Dwight D. Eisenhower threw the switch that started the first power generating unit in 1954. When completed in 1956, Fort Randall Dam and the Lake Francis Case Project cost approximately $200 million. U.S. Route 18 and U.S. Route 281 cross the crest of the dam. The dam is just over north of the Nebraska state line.The Fort Randall Dam is located within sight of its namesake Fort Randall, an early U.S. Army Frontier Post. Fort Randall Dam is one of six Missouri River mainstem dams; the next dam upstream is Big Bend Dam, near Ft. Thompson, and the next dam downstream is Gavins Point Dam, near Yankton.
A significant birding site, the Fort Randall Eagle Roost, is located near the dam. The Eagle Roost was listed as a National Natural Landmark in 1967, shortly after completion of the dam. The eagles that roost here may use the dam's spillway to catch and eat fish.