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Sustainable Rivers

Osage River, Kansas and Missouri - Partnering to advance and implement new flow regimes

At the Osage River, USACE’s Kansas City District is working with the Sustainable Rivers Program to identify environmental flow opportunities that balance hydropower, flood control, water supply, and outdoor recreation with the needs of rare fish and mussels.

This map of the Osage River Basin shows the locations and storage capacity of six USACE reservoirs managed by USACE’s Kansas City District
Reservoirs of the Osage - This map of the Osage River Basin shows the locations and storage capacity of six USACE reservoirs managed by Kansas City District.
Image of the Osage River which starts in the plains of Kansas and winds its way east, through the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, before joining the Missouri River near Jefferson City
Osage River - The Osage River begins on the plains of Kansas and winds its way east, through the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, before joining the Missouri River near Jefferson City (USACE photo).
Image of a freshwater mussel on the banks of the Osage River.
Environmental Flows for Freshwater Mussels - The Sustainable Rivers Program is working with USACE’s Kansas City District and a range of partners to identify new flow regimes that can minimize events that lead to stranding of freshwater mussels (USACE photo).
Image of a freshwater mussel in the water.
Mussel Communities are Important for River Health in the Osage - The elephant ear mussel is a potential restoration target in the Osage River watershed. This species can reach up to six inches in length, and individuals have been known to live for as long as 100 years (photo by Missouri Department of Conservation).
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Story

The Osage River originates in the high plains of central Kansas and steadily gains volume as it flows east, across the Missouri state line, through the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It joins the Missouri River near Jefferson City.

USACE completed its first dam on the Osage in the 1960s; dam building continued until 1981. Six USACE reservoirs shape the Osage and its tributaries, three in Kansas and three in Missouri.

The primary purpose of these dams is for flood risk management, but they also provide water for several municipalities in Missouri and Kansas. Two of the dams are outfitted with hydropower turbines that supply electricity to St. Louis. The reservoirs are highly popular with outdoor enthusiasts.   Read More

Partners
  • Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
  • Kansas State University
  • Kansas Water Office
  • Missouri Department of Conservation
  • Oklahoma State University
  • Southwest Power Association
  • The Nature Conservancy
  • University of Missouri
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District
  • U.S. Geological Survey
  • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Resources
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