Grand River (Missouri)
Encyclopedia
The Grand River is a river
that stretches from northernmost tributary origins between Creston
and Winterset
in Iowa
approximately 226 miles (363.7 km) to its mouth on the Missouri River
near Brunswick, Missouri
.
Its watershed of 7900 square miles (20,460.9 km²), with three-quarters in Missouri, makes it the largest watershed serving the Missouri River in northern Missouri.
Notable river-oriented locations include Adam-ondi-Ahman
near Gallatin, Missouri
. The Latter Day Saint prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. said this is the site where Adam and Eve
lived after being evicted from the Garden of Eden
. Fort D'Orleans was erected by French explorer Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont
which is believed to have been at the mouth of the Grand on Missouri River in 1723 (the French named the river "La Grande Riviére"). The fort was abandoned in 1726 and has been obliterated by floods.
Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge
is on the Yellow Creek tributary at Sumner, Missouri
.
In 1835 the Missouri Legislature declared it a navigable stream to the Iowa line, although steamboat
traffic never extended much further than Chillicothe
. Even than boats had difficulty with the river's changing water levels, and sometimes it was too low for them to travel that far upriver. The town of Bedford is named for a steamer that sank there.
The West and East Forks of the Grand rise just south of Creston in Union County, Iowa. The Middle Fork rises at Mount Ayr, Iowa
in Ringgold County, Iowa
. The three forks merge just south of Albany, Missouri
in Gentry County
. That is where the river officially assumes the single Grand River name.
The biggest confluence of streams is at Chillicothe, where the Thompson River
and Shoal, Medicine, and Locust creeks merge with the river. The Grand River Basin has more than 1,000 third order
or higher streams.
No dams have been built on the river. At various times plans have been proposed for five dams, with the most prominent being the Pattonsburg Dam at Pattonsburg, Missouri
. The United States Corps of Engineers bought out the residents after the Great Flood of 1993
; but, the proposed dam has not been authorized given the economic downturn.
Average discharge for the Grand at Sumner, Missouri is 3,917 cubic feet per second (111 m3/s). The maximum instantaneous peak flow of 180,000 cu ft/s (5,100 m3/s) occurred in June, 1947. During the 1993 flood 150,000 cu ft/s (4,200 m3/s) was reported at Sumner.
The Grand descends at a rate of about three feet per mile (0.5 m/km), although the Pop's Branch near Princeton, Missouri
descends at 44 feet per mile (8 m/km).
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
that stretches from northernmost tributary origins between Creston
Creston, Iowa
Creston is a city in and the county seat of Union County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,597 at the 2000 census. McKinley Lake lies within a large, multi-purpose municipal park within the city limits, and three additional recreational lakes are located within seven miles of Creston:...
and Winterset
Winterset, Iowa
Winterset is a city in Madison County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,768 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Madison County....
in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
approximately 226 miles (363.7 km) to its mouth on the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
near Brunswick, Missouri
Brunswick, Missouri
Brunswick is a rural city in Carroll County, Missouri, United States. The population was 925 at the 2000 census. The Missouri Farmers Association was founded here in 1914. Today the city is considered the Pecan Capital of Missouri...
.
Its watershed of 7900 square miles (20,460.9 km²), with three-quarters in Missouri, makes it the largest watershed serving the Missouri River in northern Missouri.
Notable river-oriented locations include Adam-ondi-Ahman
Adam-ondi-Ahman
Adam-ondi-Ahman is an historic site along the east bluffs above the Grand River in Daviess County, Missouri. According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , it is the site where Adam and Eve lived after being expelled from the Garden of Eden...
near Gallatin, Missouri
Gallatin, Missouri
Gallatin is a city in Daviess County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,789 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Daviess County.-History:...
. The Latter Day Saint prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. said this is the site where Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
lived after being evicted from the Garden of Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
. Fort D'Orleans was erected by French explorer Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont
Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont
Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont was a French explorer who documented his travels on the Missouri and Platte rivers in North America and made the first European maps of these areas. He wrote two accounts of his travels, which included descriptions of the Native American tribes he encountered...
which is believed to have been at the mouth of the Grand on Missouri River in 1723 (the French named the river "La Grande Riviére"). The fort was abandoned in 1726 and has been obliterated by floods.
Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Swan Lake National Wildlife RefugeSwan Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established by Executive Order 7563 on February 27, 1937. Purchase of 10,670 acres began at that time...
is on the Yellow Creek tributary at Sumner, Missouri
Sumner, Missouri
Sumner is a city in Chariton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 142 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town.-Geography:Sumner is located at ....
.
In 1835 the Missouri Legislature declared it a navigable stream to the Iowa line, although steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
traffic never extended much further than Chillicothe
Chillicothe, Missouri
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Livingston County, Missouri, United States. The population was 9,515 at the 2010 census. The name "Chillicothe" is Shawnee for "big town", and was named after their Chillicothe, located since 1774 about a mile from the present-day city.Chillicothe is...
. Even than boats had difficulty with the river's changing water levels, and sometimes it was too low for them to travel that far upriver. The town of Bedford is named for a steamer that sank there.
The West and East Forks of the Grand rise just south of Creston in Union County, Iowa. The Middle Fork rises at Mount Ayr, Iowa
Mount Ayr, Iowa
Mount Ayr is a city in Ringgold County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,822 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ringgold County.-Geography:Mount Ayr's longitude and latitude coordinatesin decimal form are 40.714210, -94.236892...
in Ringgold County, Iowa
Ringgold County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 5,131 in the county, with a population density of . There were 2,613 housing units, of which 2,047 were occupied.-2000 census:...
. The three forks merge just south of Albany, Missouri
Albany, Missouri
Albany is a city in Gentry County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,937 at the 2000 census.- Geography :Albany is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land...
in Gentry County
Gentry County, Missouri
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,861 people, 2,747 households, and 1,884 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile . There were 3,214 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile...
. That is where the river officially assumes the single Grand River name.
The biggest confluence of streams is at Chillicothe, where the Thompson River
Thompson River (Missouri)
The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Grand River in the central United States, flowing from southern Iowa into Missouri. The river is long, and its drainage basin is roughly , of which are in Missouri....
and Shoal, Medicine, and Locust creeks merge with the river. The Grand River Basin has more than 1,000 third order
Strahler Stream Order
In mathematics, the Strahler number or Horton–Strahler number of a mathematical tree is a numerical measure of its branching complexity....
or higher streams.
No dams have been built on the river. At various times plans have been proposed for five dams, with the most prominent being the Pattonsburg Dam at Pattonsburg, Missouri
Pattonsburg, Missouri
Pattonsburg is a city in Daviess County, Missouri, United States. The population was 261 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pattonsburg is located at ....
. The United States Corps of Engineers bought out the residents after the Great Flood of 1993
Great Flood of 1993
The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood was among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the United States, with $15 billion in damages...
; but, the proposed dam has not been authorized given the economic downturn.
Average discharge for the Grand at Sumner, Missouri is 3,917 cubic feet per second (111 m3/s). The maximum instantaneous peak flow of 180,000 cu ft/s (5,100 m3/s) occurred in June, 1947. During the 1993 flood 150,000 cu ft/s (4,200 m3/s) was reported at Sumner.
The Grand descends at a rate of about three feet per mile (0.5 m/km), although the Pop's Branch near Princeton, Missouri
Princeton, Missouri
Princeton is a city in Mercer County, Missouri. The population was 1,166 at the 2010 census, an 11.4% increase in population from the 2000 census, which counted 1,047 people. It is the county seat of Mercer County.-Geography:...
descends at 44 feet per mile (8 m/km).