Missouri River Research Symposium

2025 Missouri River Science and Management Symposium

Thursday, November 13, 2025; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Neuharth Center Conference Room, University of South Dakota

The annual Missouri River Institute symposium at the University of South Dakota will feature several speakers describing research and management activities focused on issues related to the Missouri River and its basin. Speakers will include presenters from the University of South Dakota and other academic institutions as well as from federal and state government agencies. The symposium is a day-long event where current research on such topics as floods, hydrology, sedimentology, effects of river management, riparian forests, and fish & wildlife, as well as some information on property management related to the river, will be discussed.

Event Schedule

  • 9:00 a.m. Insect Apocalypse? Population Patterns of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Across North America. Analiese Bauder and Jeff Wesner, USD Biology
  • 9:20 a.m. Spatiotemporal habitat use of Walleye in Lake Sharpe, South Dakota. Carter Dollen, Mark Fincel, Alison Coulter, Steve Chipps. SDSU Natural Resource Management
  • 9:40 a.m. Cottonwood forests along the Missouri River: Past, present, and future. Mark Dixon (USD Biology), W. Carter Johnson, and Michael L. Scott
  • 10 a.m. Levee setbacks and forest ecosystem services on the Lower Missouri River floodplain. Kim Magnuson and Mark Dixon, USD Biology
  • 10:20 a.m. Morning Break | Visit poster Session
  • 11 a.m. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to assess native freshwater mussel biodiversity in North America. Emily Zavacki, Evan Shirley, and Omera Matoo, USD Biology
  • 11:20 a.m. TBA: Zebra mussels on the MNRR, Justin Sorensen and Jake Kerby, USD Biology
  • 11:40 a.m. Tracking Least Terns: On-river and off-river foraging movements along the MNRR. Kyle Jorgensen and Dave Swanson, USD Biology
  • 12 p.m. Lunch Break | On your own
  • 1:30 p.m. USACE levee setback initiatives and research in the Upper Missouri River Basin. Aidan Coen, USACE (ZOOM)
  • 1:50 p.m. Introduction to the South Dakota Water Resource Institute. Ryan Lefers, South Dakota Water Institute, SDSU
  • 2:10 p.m. Environmental and economic efficacy of the Seasonal Riparian Area Management (SRAM) program in the Big Sioux River Watershed. Tulsi Ram Pokrell et al., South Dakota Water Institute, SDSU
  • 2:30 p.m. TBA. David Thomson et al, National Park Service, Missouri National Recreational River
  • 2:50 p.m. Afternoon Break | Visit poster Session
  • 3:10 p.m. Mapping the global flux of biomass and contaminants from rivers by emerging aquatic insects. Jeff Wesner et al, USD Biology
  • 3:30 p.m. Exploring the relationship between physical sediment size and the individual size distribution of macroinvertebrates across North American freshwater streams. Morgan Hrivnak and Jeff Wesner, USD Biology
  • 4:00 p.m. Flathead Catfish population structure on the James River after the 2019 flood. BJ Schall, SDGFP
  • 4:20 p.m. Blue Sucker stable isotope signatures on the James River. BJ Schall, SDGFP
  • 4:40 p.m. Bird occurrence in early successional riparian vegetation along the Missouri River during migration. Stephanie Nefas, Mark Dixon and Dave Swanson, USD Biology
  • 5 p.m. ADJOURN

    • Poster Session

    Please visit the posters relating to Missouri River research at the back of the conference room during the morning and afternoon breaks. Presenter name in bold font.

    Spatiotemporal mapping of invasive yellow sweet clover blooms in the Missouri River Basin using Sentinel-2 and high-resolution drone imagery.
    Sakshi Saraf and Ranjeet John, USD Biology

    Analyzing changes in Russian olive distributions along the Missouri River in response to flooding.
    Zach Schild and Ranjeet John, USD Biology

    Structure and composition of woody vegetation in the lower Missouri River floodplain.
    Kim Magnuson and Mark Dixon, USD Biology