November 13, 2018 • Page 10 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com ‘River Of Change’ BY RANDY DOCKENDORF randy.dockendorf@yankton.net The star of a new movie about the Yankton region is just going with the flow. The spotlight will shine on the “Mighty Mo,” the nickname given the powerful Missouri River. In particular, the film “River Of Change” explores the 59-mile segment of the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR). Ranger Dugan Smith said the short film celebrates the 40th anniversary of the 59mile segment of the MNRR. “On Nov. 10, 1978, Congress passed the designation of this 59-mile segment as part of the Missouri National Recreational River,” he said. “This designation covered the segment from Gavins Point Dam to Ponca State Park. In honor of the 40th anniversary, we will debut the film at four locations in the Yankton area. All shows are free, and we encourage the public to attend.” The short film’s premiere begins with two showings this weekend in Yankton, Smith said. No tickets are required, and seating will be on a first-come, firstserved basis. “The grand kickoff will be November 10 (Saturday) at Dakota Theater here in Yankton, on the anniversary date. We will have showings at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. that night,” the ranger said. “The actual film is 15-20 minutes. We will have some introductions and then show the film. We may also show some small film segments that focus on specific locations and connections, such as steamboats, geology and the (Native American) tribes.” A question-and-answer session will follow the film. The audience will meet the film producer, production manager and NPS staff. Other showings will be held: • Nov. 17 — 2 p.m. at the Lynn Theater in Lynch, Nebraska, and 4 p.m. at the Wagner theater; • Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Coyote Twin Theater in Vermillion. AN IMPORTANT ROUTE eA Tak D ort Sh Smith, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, will talk at the Yankton showings about the Native American aspect. The film features the three tribes — Yankton Sioux, Santee Sioux and Ponca — who live along the MNRR. “I’ll talk about the three tribes and their long history and culture along the river. I’ll talk about their place here in South Dakota and Nebraska,” he said. “My own heritage runs along the river from Sioux City to north-central South Dakota. My father’s side came from around Wynot, Nebraska, while my mother lived on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe reservation.” The river also provided an important route for explorers Lewis and Clark, followed by steamboat traffic and white settlers, Smith said. “You talk to kids and ask how food gets to the grocery stores today. They know it comes from trucks along the interstate (highway),” he said. “The Missouri River was the interstate of the west. It’s how supplies got to Montana, whether it was plows, feed, tobacco or anything that was brought in for trading came up the Missouri River.” “River Of Change” was far from an overnight production, Smith said. The NPS contracted with Argentine Productions of Pennsylvania, which specializes in these types of natural resource films, he said. In addition, the production company produced five short videos available on the NPS website after the film’s Nov. 10 premiere, according to a MNRR press release. The film gives the viewer a wide view of the wild and scenic river, according to MNRR Superintendent Rick Clark. “‘River of Change’ features the Missouri National Recreational River in all seasons with stunning views of its scenery, fish and wildlife, ecology, geology, history, and recreational values that made it eligible for designation in the Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1978,” Clark said. In 1991, Congress gave the wild and scenic designation to the 39-mile segment e riv TYNDALL MOTORS 605-589-3441 Toll Free 1-888-589-3441 406 West Hwy 50, Tyndall, SD Harvest the Deals NEW 2019 CHEVY TRAVERSE PREMIER AWD 2015 BUICK ENCORE JUST IN $17,995 $15,995 2016 CHEVY TAHOE LT 2015 CHEVY ¾ T DBl LTZ DIESEL 2015 CHEVY SILVERADO CREW LT was $51,995 $29,995 was $53,995 $49,995 was $19,495 $50,995 2016 CHEVY CRUZE PREMIER was $16,995 See our full inventor y at tyndallmotors.com below Fort Randall Dam at Pickstown. The designation excludes Lewis and Clark Lake. “They made the designation for the 39-mile segment at the same time they designated the Niobrara Scenic River,” Smith said. The park also includes 20 miles of the lower Niobrara River and eight miles of the lower Verdigre Creek, both of which are tributaries of the Missouri River. AFFECTED LIVES The film is intended to provide glimpses of the river in every season for first-time visitors to the Missouri National Recreational River. As a unit of the National Park Service, the 98 miles of the river is not only home to a variety of wildlife, but also to people that have lived along its edges. The film includes interviews from landowners, anglers, hunters, recreational boaters and the people who have been connected to this sacred river for thousands of years: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, Santee Sioux Tribe, and the Yankton Sioux Tribe. The production features aerial and scenic views of the river, up-close wildlife photography, and interviews of people that call the river their home and place to recreate. The NPS wants to take the public beyond the scenes, Smith said. While the film features beautiful scenery from all four seasons, the MNRR represents much more, he said. “River of Change” provides insight into the wild and scenic designation, including why it remains important, the ranger said. “We have many partnerships. We talk about the meaning behind the parks and why this national park is located here. “We have the natural resource aspect that caught the attention of the people in the 1970s. Both (South Dakota and Nebraska) state legislatures had been talking about the river and its issues of the time.” The wild and scenic designation contains multiple parts, Smith said. “You have the wilderness, where there is no impact at all with no roads or bridges. The scenic designation means you have some roads and bridges that are used by people,” he said. “Our (scenic river) has an impact, but it still has a lot of remnants of a free-flowing system that isn’t channelized. It’s kind of a mixture of all these things. This is a precious piece of the river that is still left. A FORCE OF NATURE The NPS provides visitors with an appreciation of the river but also a respect for its power, Smith said. He’s glad to see visitors lose their apprehension about the river, but the NPS also promotes river safety. In recent years, the river’s fury was seen in the 1997 and 2011 floods. The former produced extended Gavins Point Dam releases of about 70,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), which was dwarfed by the weeks-long release of 160,000 cfs during the 2011 flood. “I observed that (the 2011 flood) changed a lot of the ways we all knew the river,” he said. “We knew where there was channel and where there wasn’t channel. There hadn’t been a flood or other major water event for nearly 20 years. You knew where the channel was and where there were snags. “But the 2011 flood changed the channel and moved it in different areas. It impacted the river and the homeowners along the river. It was eroding the banks more. “After the flood, I think we’re settling down. There is constant erosion, but things are settling down. Then again, this year is an example of higher flows on a constant basis which is where we are seeing more erosion.” Smith has seen a growing public awareness of the MNRR. He noted the introduction and growth of events along the river during the past 15 years. “When we started the river clean-up, we had volunteers who showed up but didn’t even know this was a national park. Now, a lot more people know this is a national park than they did 15 years ago,” he said. Smith hopes the upcoming showing of “River of Change” will leave an impact with viewers. “We hope they take away that this is a special place,” he said. “There is nowhere on the river like these two stretches of the river. The local, state, private and federal agencies are trying to keep it that way. “But the river can change in an instant, and never go back to the way it was. I think it will always be that way.” —— “River of Change” will be available for viewing at the Lewis and Clark Visitor Center, Niobrara and Ponca State Parks, Lewis and Clark Recreation Area, and at the National Park Service headquarters building located in Yankton during regular business hours. For more information about the premiere showing at the Dakota Theater or additional show venues, visit nps.gov/ mnrr. You can also call 605-665-0209 or visit the Park Headquarters, located at 508 E Second Street in Yankton Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Follow @RDockendorf on Twitter. MV Shopper CLASSIFIEDS M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y IN PRINT & ONLINE To place your ad call... 605.665.5884 Welcome Dr. Sara Pepper, Pediatrics Yankton Medical Clinic, P.C. is pleased to announce the association of Sara Pepper, M.D. Call today to schedule an appointment. 1104 West 8th St., Yankton, SD 57078 605-665-5538 www.YanktonMedicalClinic.com