Meghan Hodges
Lake Oahe is a man-made reservoir in the United States, created by the damming of the Missouri River in 1962. The lake covers portions of North and South Dakota and is a popular tourist destination, with around 1.5 million visitors each year. The lake has been at the centre of several controversies, including the flooding of Native American reservations and territories, and the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which raised environmental concerns. While there have been no official contamination reports, the pipeline remains a source of contention for residents in the Lake Oahe area.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Lake Oahe Pollution | No official contamination recorded as of 2021 |
| Construction | The Oahe Dam was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944, and construction by the United States Army Corps of Engineers began in 1948 |
| Lake Oahe's Impact on Natives | The Oahe Dam's construction led to the flooding of over 200,000 acres of the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Reservations in South Dakota, causing the displacement of Native Americans and the loss of their traditional ways of life. |
| Environmental Concerns | The Dakota Access Pipeline, a proposed crude oil pipeline, raised environmental concerns due to its proximity to Lake Oahe, the primary water source for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. |
| Lake Oahe's Recreation | Lake Oahe offers recreational activities such as boating, hiking, fishing, and hunting, attracting approximately 1.5 million visitors annually. |
| Lake Oahe's Ecology | Lake Oahe is home to various fish species, including walleye, northern pike, channel catfish, smallmouth bass, and Chinook salmon. It also supports populations of the endangered pallid sturgeon. |
| Cultural Significance | Lake Oahe is of cultural significance to Native American tribes, with artifacts and cultural resources found along its shoreline. It is believed to be the burial site of Sitting Bull, a Sioux leader. |
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What You'll Learn
The Dakota Access Pipeline
Lake Oahe is a reservoir in the United States, spanning North and South Dakota. The lake is a major source of drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. In 2016, the Dakota Access Pipeline sparked controversy when it was revealed that the pipeline would be placed beneath Lake Oahe. The Dakota Access Pipeline is a $3.8 billion, 1,172-mile-long pipeline transporting crude oil.
The controversy surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline centred around concerns of potential contamination of the lake, which is the primary source of drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The Standing Rock Indian Reservation petitioned against the routing of the pipeline through their land, and in December 2016, the USACE denied the easement, stating the need to explore alternate routes. However, then-President Donald Trump issued a memorandum and an executive order asking USACE to expedite its consideration of the company's application, and the USACE subsequently withdrew its call for an environmental study.
In February 2017, the USACE approved an easement through Lake Oahe, and the Cheyenne River Sioux filed the first legal challenge to the easement, citing an 1851 treaty and interference with the religious practices of the tribe. The pipeline was eventually placed 27 to 46 kilometres below the lake's surface. Despite the construction of a water outtake 100 kilometres downstream to eliminate potential contamination, the pipeline remains a source of contention for many residents in the Lake Oahe area.
The controversy surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline is not an isolated incident but part of a broader history of tension between Native American tribes and the US government. The construction of the Oahe Dam in the 1940s and 1950s, for example, resulted in the flooding of Native American reservations and the displacement of Native American communities. As of 2015, poverty remains an issue for the displaced populations, who continue to seek compensation for their losses.
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Environmental impact
Lake Oahe is a man-made reservoir in the United States, formed in 1962 by the damming of the Missouri River. The lake covers parts of North and South Dakota and is the fourth-largest reservoir in the US by volume.
The creation of Lake Oahe had a significant impact on the environment and local communities, and the lake continues to be a site of environmental concern.
The construction of the Oahe Dam and the subsequent flooding of the Missouri River Basin led to the displacement of Native American communities and the loss of their traditional ways of life. Over 200,000 acres of the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Reservations in South Dakota were flooded, and Native Americans were forced to relocate from these areas. As a result, poverty became a significant issue for the displaced populations, who continue to seek compensation for their losses.
The lake also flooded archaeological sites and burial grounds, including the cabin of Sioux leader Sitting Bull, who was killed by police in 1890. As late as 2015, volunteers were still reburying human remains that had washed up on the shores of Lake Oahe. Additionally, the Huff Archeological Site, a fortified Mandan village, is now endangered by erosion pressure from the lake.
The lake is also a source of environmental concern due to its proximity to the Dakota Access Pipeline, a 1,172-mile-long pipeline transporting crude oil. The pipeline was originally intended to pass directly beneath Lake Oahe, raising concerns about potential water contamination among the local tribes and reservations, including the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, for whom the lake is the primary source of drinking water.
In 2016, the US Army Corps of Engineers denied the easement for the pipeline to cross under the lake, citing the need to explore alternate routes and conduct an Environmental Impact Statement. However, then-President Donald Trump expedited the process, and the pipeline was eventually placed 27 to 46 kilometers below the lake's surface. The Cheyenne River Sioux filed the first legal challenge to the easement, citing interference with their religious practices and an 1851 treaty.
While no official contaminations have been recorded, the pipeline remains a source of contention for many residents in the Lake Oahe area.
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Native American tribes' opposition
Lake Oahe, the fourth-largest man-made reservoir in the United States, holds cultural and historical significance for many Native American tribes. The shoreline and public lands around the lake contain various artefacts and cultural resources, especially important to the Native American tribes that have historically lived and travelled through the Missouri River Basin and the Lake Oahe area.
The lake was formed in the 1960s when the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation built five large dams on the Missouri River, forcing Native Americans to relocate from flooded areas. Over 200,000 acres on the Standing Rock Reservation and the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota were flooded by the Oahe Dam alone. The loss of this land had a profound impact on the Native Americans who lived on the reservations. Many were unable to harvest the land before it was flooded, and they continue to seek compensation for the loss of their towns and their traditional ways of life.
The lake has also become a point of contention due to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, a $3.8 billion, 1,172-mile-long pipeline transporting crude oil. Native American tribes in the Dakotas and Iowa, including several Sioux nations and the Meskwaki, have opposed the project due to its potential environmental impacts and interference with their religious practices. In 2016 and 2017, thousands of Native Americans and their allies built and sustained a nonviolent resistance movement centred at the confluence of the Cannonball River and Lake Oahe.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, in particular, has been at the forefront of the legal battle against the pipeline, arguing that it threatens their primary source of drinking water and interferes with their religious practices. In 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in favour of the tribe, stating that a thorough environmental review should have been conducted for the pipeline section below Lake Oahe.
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Poverty and compensation for displaced populations
Lake Oahe is a large reservoir in the United States, created by the Oahe Dam on the Missouri River. The lake covers an area of 370,000 acres (1,500 square kilometres) and has a maximum depth of 205 feet (62 metres). It is named after the Oahe Indian Mission, established among the Lakota Sioux in 1874.
The Oahe Dam was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers, with construction beginning in 1948 and the dam becoming operational in 1962. The dam provides flood control, power generation, irrigation, and navigation benefits, supplying electricity to much of the north-central United States.
However, the creation of Lake Oahe resulted in the displacement of Native American populations, particularly from the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Reservations in South Dakota. Over 200,000 acres of land were flooded, and the loss of this land had a significant impact on the Native communities. As a result, poverty has become a persistent issue for the displaced populations, who have also lost their traditional ways of life.
As of 2015, these communities were still seeking compensation for their losses. The construction of the dam and the subsequent flooding of their lands had a profound emotional impact, with one account noting that "the old people had died of heartache". The loss of cultural and archaeological sites, as well as the disturbance of burial grounds, has also been a significant source of contention.
The Lake has also been a point of contention in protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, with Native American tribes expressing concerns about the pipeline's potential environmental impacts and interference with their religious practices. These tribes, including the Standing Rock Sioux and the Cheyenne River Sioux, have filed legal challenges and engaged in non-violent resistance to protect their land and water sources.
Overall, the creation of Lake Oahe has had significant consequences for the displaced Native American populations, who continue to face poverty and seek compensation for their losses, highlighting the ongoing struggle for justice and recognition of their rights.
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The Antiquities Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and other legislation
Lake Oahe is a large reservoir behind the Oahe Dam on the Missouri River. The lake has an area of 370,000 acres and a maximum depth of 205 feet. It is the fourth-largest reservoir in the US by volume and is named for the 1874 Oahe Indian Mission. The lake is a source of hydropower and provides irrigation and flood control benefits.
The lake was formed in 1962 when the Oahe Dam was opened, forcing Native Americans to relocate from flooded areas. The loss of land and the subsequent submersion of towns and burial sites under Lake Oahe had a devastating impact on the Native Americans who lived in the region. This included the loss of their ways of life and the destruction of cultural and historical artifacts and sites.
The Antiquities Act (1906)
The Antiquities Act of 1906 was the first US law to offer general legal protection for cultural and natural resources of historic or scientific interest on federal lands. It aimed to preserve archaeological places and the information they contained after concerns were raised about the loss of important sites and artifacts due to haphazard collection and sale by private citizens. The Act has been amended several times, including in 1950 and 1980, to require Congressional approval for certain national monuments.
National Historic Preservation Act (1966)
The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) establishes a process for identifying and preserving historic properties and cultural resources. It defines how federal agencies must consider the effects of their undertakings on these sites and includes consultation with State Historic Preservation Officers, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation oversees the implementation of the NHPA.
Other Relevant Legislation
Other legislation that pertains to the protection of cultural resources and historic preservation includes:
- Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979: This Act addresses the protection of archaeological resources and has replaced the Antiquities Act for special use permits for resources over 100 years old.
- Historic Sites Act of 1935: This Act declares a national policy to preserve historic sites, buildings, and objects of national significance for the benefit of the American people.
- Archeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (AHPA): This Act applies to all federal agencies and requires them to preserve historic and archaeological objects that may be lost due to their projects or licensed activities. It provides the Secretary of the Interior with the authority to assist in meeting AHPA requirements and undertake independent studies.
- Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960 and the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974: These Acts include authorities that may affect Heritage Program activities by establishing national forest management directions.
These laws and regulations help protect the cultural and historical resources impacted by the creation of Lake Oahe and ensure that any undertakings consider and mitigate their potential effects on these valuable sites.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Lake Oahe is a man-made reservoir created by the damming of the Missouri River via the Oahe Dam.
The Dakota Access Pipeline is a $3.8 billion, 1,172-mile-long pipeline that was intended to transport crude oil and cross under Lake Oahe. This raised environmental concerns, specifically among the tribes and reservations in the area, as Lake Oahe is the primary source of drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
No official contaminations have been recorded, but the pipeline remains a source of contention for many residents in the Lake Oahe area.
Lake Oahe holds the lands of the Lakota people and the earlier Arikara people, who lived in earth lodges along the river. It is also adjacent to the purported grave of Sacajawea, a Shoshone woman who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their Missouri expedition.
Lake Oahe offers a range of outdoor activities such as boating, hiking, disc golf, hunting, and fishing. Fishing is one of the most popular recreational activities on the lake, and various species of fish can be found in the reservoir, including walleye, northern pike, channel catfish, and smallmouth bass.
