Lewis and Clark Lake

Reservoir in Nebraska / South Dakota border, USA, on the Missouri River. Part of South Dakota.

At a glance

Source	Author	Role	In one line
All Dams Are Temporary	Practical Engineering	subject	The reservoir is the running example of sedimentation: about 5 million tons of sediment a year arrive on the Missouri River, a delta has formed since the 1950s, about 30 percent of storage is lost, and it may be half full by 2045.

All Dams Are Temporary — Practical Engineering (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

Lewis and Clark Lake, on the border between Nebraska and South Dakota, might not be a lake for much longer. Together with the dam that holds it back, the reservoir provides hydropower, flood control, and supports a robust recreational economy through fishing, boating, camping, birdwatching, hunting, swimming, and biking.

• Role: subject
• In the article: The reservoir is the running example of sedimentation: about 5 million tons of sediment a year arrive on the Missouri River, a delta has formed since the 1950s, about 30 percent of storage is lost, and it may be half full by 2045. The text later cites its 16,000 square mile catchment and the 200,000 semi-trailers of sediment per year.
• Why it matters: It gives a concrete case for a global problem. The author says every on-channel reservoir faces this, so another reservoir could stand in, but the real numbers make the problem tangible.