University of South Dakota receives grant to study Missouri River

The $323,000, three-year grant will facilitate the study of the Missouri River.
The $323,000, three-year grant will facilitate the study of the Missouri River. | File photo
A National Science Foundation grant will assist University of South Dakota students study how human intervention affects the Missouri River and the ecosystems that depend on it.

The $323,000, three-year grant will facilitate the study of topics such as how non-native species of fish and trees, agrochemical contamination and other human activity change the river.

Every summer for 10 weeks, 10 students will be chosen for the Sustainable RIVER (Remediating InVasives to Encourage Resilience) project, to examine the impact of invasive activities. The project will be overseen by Meghann Jarchow, assistant professor of biology and coordinator of the sustainability program at the University of South Dakota, and other faculty who are members of USD's Missouri River Institute.

Native American students at the Nebraska Indian Community College and the Nueta, Hidatsa and Sahnish College will also participate in the project, with the first group heading to the Missouri National Recreational River in 2017. The aim is to promote public awareness, as well as to assist science students in learning interdisciplinary measures, a lesson that will serve well with the changing face of research and projects.

In their final project, students will both disseminate individual and collective research and make recommendations to the public regarding management of the river.