Today, the river remains an economic lifeline, supporting agriculture, industry and outdoor recreation. It also provides habitat for wildlife and drinking water for the communities along its banks.These uses have affected the river’s ecosystem, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has undertaken the Missouri River Recovery Program to replace lost habitat for threatened and endangered species such as the pallid sturgeon, least tern and piping plover.

USACE is working with partners that include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, American Indian tribes, state agencies and other agencies and organizations, including the Fund, to restore some of the natural characteristics of the Missouri River. These efforts are designed to ensure that the Missouri can continue to support a thriving population of native wildlife while also providing for current social and economic uses.

Our Role

In 2009, the Fund joined forces with USACE to protect 2,400 acres—and nearly seven miles of Missouri river frontage—in Cedar County in northern Nebraska along the state’s border with South Dakota. Consisting of riverfront land, cedar forest, grassland and cropland, the property sits between the Missouri River and a steep bluff. 

The property was identified as the highest priority for the Missouri River Recovery Program. We worked with the seller to purchase the property in July of 2009 and transferred it to the Corps  three months later when funding became available.

“Preservation of this property is a significant step forward for the Missouri River Recovery Program and is critical to bringing back least terns, pallid sturgeon, piping plovers and bald eagles to the area. We appreciate the commitment of conservation-minded landowners who are helping to restore the Missouri River and build a natural legacy that will benefit current and future generations.”

—Clint Miller, Midwest Project Director, The Conservation Fund

Learn More

Missouri River Recovery Program