Annual suspended-sediment loads for water years 1954 through 1998 were estimated for the major tributaries in the Missouri River Basin between Garrison Dam and Lake Oahe in North Dakota and for the Missouri River at Garrison Dam and the Missouri River at Bismarck, N. Dak. The major tributaries are the Knife River, Turtle Creek, Painted Woods Creek, Square Butte Creek, Burnt Creek, Heart River, and Apple Creek. Sediment and streamflow data used to estimate the suspended-sediment loads were from selected U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations located within each basin. Some of the stations had no sediment data available and limited continuous streamflow data for water years 1954 through 1998. Therefore, data from nearby streamflow-gaging stations were assumed for the calculations.
The Heart River contributed the largest amount of suspended sediment to the Missouri River for 1954-98. Annual suspended-sediment loads in the Heart River near Mandan ranged from less than 1 to 40 percent of the annual suspended-sediment load in the Missouri River. The Knife River contributed the second largest amount of suspended sediment to the Missouri River. Annual suspended-sediment loads in the Knife River at Hazen ranged from less than 1 to 19 percent of the annual suspended-sediment load in the Missouri River. Apple Creek, Turtle Creek, Painted Woods Creek, Square Butte Creek, and Burnt Creek all contributed 2 percent or less of the annual suspended-sediment load in the Missouri River. The Knife River and the Heart River also had the largest average suspended-sediment yields for the seven tributaries. The yield for the Knife River was 91.1 tons per square mile, and the yield for the Heart River was 133 tons per square mile. The remaining five tributaries had yields of less than 24 tons per square mile based on total drainage area.
