Missouri River Bend Classification

Management actions intended to increase growth and survival of pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) age-0 larvae on the Lower Missouri River require a comprehensive understanding of the geomorphic habitat template of the river. The datasets described here are intended to support decisions relating to where channel-reconfiguration projects should be located to optimize effectiveness of interception rearing complexes (IRCs). The bend-scale geomorphic classification of the Lower Missouri River is intended to help in the design of monitoring and evaluation of IRC projects. The bend-scale classification was based on geomorphic and engineering variables for 257 bends from Sioux City, Iowa to the confluence with the Mississippi River near St. Louis, Missouri. We developed 5 datasets to underlie the classification; these data were aggregated at the bend level and used in k-means clustering to identify groupings of bends that shared the same characteristics. Separate 3-, 4-, and 6-cluster classifications were developed and mapped; the final bend classification dataset is includeed in this data release.