Recreation opportunities abound on the Missouri River, but be cautious

Milk jug boat and rubber duck races were also held on the water.

Those traditions have since gone by the wayside. Iowa Department of Natural Resources conservation officer Steve Griebel said that's not because the river is anymore dangerous than it used to be.

"Since the flood in 2011 there's been a lot less boat traffic, but not because of the river," he said. "The river's still 100 percent navigable, you just have to be careful."

Griebel said more boaters are opting to go to the Iowa Great Lakes where the atmosphere is a little more relaxing. They don't have to deal with the Missouri River's currents, which he said are relatively strong compared to those of other bodies of water.

"It moves at a pretty good clip through here. Some people just like to sit stillrather  than floating down stream," he said. "There's people out there almost every day of the year. There are only a couple months where the river's not used."

Missouri River boaters, Griebel said, need to be cognizant of floating debris in the river, which has been channelized from Sioux City down stream. Sediment won't hurt a boat, but a tree limb will. He warns boaters to be cautious of sand bars and a large rock pile erected as a fish habitat around Sloan.

"It's sticking several feet out of the water, you can see it," Griebel said of the habitat. "The big thing is just the natural debris coming down the river whether it's trees that have fallen into the bank as part of their life cycle. Sometimes you see firewood and just some sort of garbage."

On a hot summer day it's not uncommon to see people wading in the river along a patch of sandy shore in South Sioux City. Griebel said they need to "very careful." He said there are places in the river that suddenly drop off from two feet to 10 feet.

"With the currents, sand is constantly moving with the water," he said. "If you're familiar with the area it can be safe. If you're unfamiliar with it, you want to make sure you've determined how deep the water is so you don't walk off the drop-off."

Griebel recommends that boaters and swimmers wear life jackets whether boating on or wading in the water.

Although flooding in recent years has reduced the number of boaters on the Missouri River, Griebel said it has made the river a better place to drop a line. Various species of fish that reside in the river, he said, are thriving.

"They're sizable," he said of small-mouth bass, walleye and catfish. "We just opened up a paddlefish season that's been closed for several decades this March. There's a lot of fishing opportunity."