Talk:Missouri River

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Contents 1 Map 2 Longest River? 3 Discharge? 4 Confluence of Missouri and Mississippi above vs. north of St. Louis 5 Canadian drainage into the Gulf of Mexico 6 Correctness

[edit] Map

I like the geographic map at the top, but I'd also like to see a map of the river with state borders so I can quickly graphically see what states it goes through. --zandperl 15:12, 15 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Longest River?

Missouri the "longest". See: List of rivers by length for discussion of considerations taken into account. Jerry picker 18:15, 15 March 2006 (UTC) 72.40.135.7 22:40, 21 March 2006 (UTC)uuuuuuuuuuuuuuh72.40.135.7 22:40, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

What is the longest river in the United States, the Mississippi or Missouri? Two different Wikipedia articles have different answers:

The Mississippi? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River; "is the longest river in the United States; the second-longest is the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi")

The Missouri? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_River; "it is the longest river in the United States ").

The United States Geological Survey, a bureau of the Department of the Interior and official surveyor of the U.S. Government says it's the Missouri: ("http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/riversofworld.html").

georgephawley@comcast.net 216.241.240.30 22:08, 24 April 2006 (UTC)

Of course, the reason for this discrepancy rests in the underlying assumptions. When these assumptions are laid out, the reader can decide for themselves according to which basic principles they choose to subscribe. An absolute distinction is somewhat arbitrary and academic; it is clear that the Missouri is either the longest or second longest river in the US, and the difference is so close that it comes back to which set of criteria one wishes to apply. It is more educational and to-the-point to lay out these criteria for the sake of a thoughtful and applied geographical consideration of the question. The current language has been chosen with this in mind: "At about 2,315 mi (3,725 km) in length, it drains approximately one-sixth of the North American continent. Depending on whether its length is reckoned from the headwaters of its sources (as the Mississippi's length is reckoned from Lake Itasca, Minnesota), or from their confluence where the Missouri is first so-named (at Three Forks, Montana), it is currently either the longest or second-longest river in the United States. Prior to the Pick-Sloan Program and channelization, it was unquestionably the longest river in the US." Jerry picker 02:29, 12 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Discharge?

The article lacks actual stats on the average discharge of the Missouri, something that most of the articles on major rivers seem to have (rather just having unquantified comparisons with the upstream Mississippi and the Ohio). Can anyone provide? Alai 22:16, 9 June 2006 (UTC)

According to a statement from the Army Corps of Engineers, "In an average year, the Missouri River provides about 45 percent of the flow of the Mississippi past St. Louis. During times of drought, that contribution could rise to as much as 70 percent." http://www.ibjonline.com/print_reducing_river_flow_levels.html Jerry picker 22:40, 9 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Confluence of Missouri and Mississippi above vs. north of St. Louis

This has been changed back and forth several times between "above" and "north of". Please note that one formal definition of "above" (prep.) is "upstream of", which may more accurately describe the geographical situation of the Mississippi at its debouchement by the Missouri.Jerry picker 23:39, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Canadian drainage into the Gulf of Mexico

Note: I've made a relatively minor edit to the main article to correct a misunderstanding that although the Milk River is the only river in Canada that drains into the Gulf of Mexico via the Missouri, it is not the only watershed in Canada that drains into the Gulf. The Poplar River (Saskatchewan-Montana) watershed extends into Canada even if the river itself does not. See also http://www.swa.ca/Maps/ (Saskatchewan Watershed Authority) Dzubint 20:10, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Correctness

Wow. This article is pretty well written. It looks pretty good. The picture describes the article. (Well) :) Atm153 00:55, 3 January 2007 (UTC)