Big Falls (Missouri River waterfall)

Big Falls
Big Falls and Ryan Dam
Big Falls (Missouri River waterfall) is located in Montana
Big Falls (Missouri River waterfall)
Map of Montana
Map
LocationNear Great Falls, Montana
Coordinates47°34′07″N 111°07′27″W / 47.56862°N 111.1241°W / 47.56862; -111.1241
TypeSegmented block
Total height87 ft (27 m)
Number of drops1
Total width900 ft (270 m)
WatercourseMissouri River
Average
flow rate		8,500 cu ft/s (240 m3/s)

Big Falls (also called Great Falls or Roar of Steam[1]) is a major waterfall located on the Missouri River in western Montana in the United States. It is the lowermost and largest of the Great Falls of the Missouri, at 87 feet (27 m) high and up to 900 feet (270 m) wide at peak flow. Although the falls used to flow powerfully year-round, most of the water is now diverted to the 60 megawatt hydroelectric plant of upstream Ryan Dam, reducing it to a trickle in the summer months.[2] The dam raised the total height of the water to 177 feet.[3]

The Mandan Indians knew of the group of the falls and called them by a descriptive (but not formal) name: Minni-Soze-Tanka-Kun-Ya,[4] or "the great falls."[5][6] The specific Grand Falls was named by William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805.[7]

Cottonwoods grow nearby, and the nearby shrubland habitat provides an environment for juniper, mule deer, and eagles. Various species of birds live below the falls.[8]

  1. ^ "Big Falls". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  2. ^ "Ryan Dam". Producing Power. pplmontana.com. Archived from the original on 2010-07-17. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
  3. ^ Moody's Magazine. Moody Corporation. 1917. p. 71.
  4. ^ McEneaney, Terry. The Birder's Guide to Montana. Guilford, Conn.: Falcon Press, 1993. ISBN 1-56044-189-5
  5. ^ Howard, Ela Mae. Lewis & Clark—Exploration of Central Montana. Rev. ed. Guilford, Conn.: Globe Pequot, 2000. ISBN 1-883844-03-7
  6. ^ Robbins, Chuck. Great Places: Montana: A Recreational Guide to Montana's Public Lands and Historic Places for Birding, Hiking, Photography, Fishing, Hunting, and Camping. Belgrade, Mont.: Wilderness Adventures Press, 2008. ISBN 1-932098-59-3
  7. ^ "The Five Falls of the Missouri". U.S. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  8. ^ Kratz, John (2017-05-15). Hiking Waterfalls in Montana: A Guide to the State's Best Waterfall Hikes. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4930-1895-6.