Big Bend, River meander in Lake Sharpe, South Dakota.
Big Bend is a major river meander of the Missouri River in South Dakota that winds approximately 20 miles around a peninsula. The river carved this formation through natural erosion over thousands of years.
The Big Bend Dam was completed in 1963 and impounded water to form Lake Sharpe over the natural river meander. The project enabled new opportunities for power generation and water storage in the region.
The region around this bend was home to Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara peoples who built villages here and relied on the river for food and transportation.
Visitors can view the meander from the lakeshore or nearby overlooks, particularly well when water levels are moderate. The best time to explore is during warmer months when roads are easily accessible.
Big Bend is one of the largest natural river curves in North America, with the river bending so sharply that two points lie just miles apart while the river channel between them stretches much longer. This dramatic curve demonstrates how powerful natural erosion can be over extended periods.
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