Day 4: 530 miles – River Falls, WI. to Sioux Falls and Chamberlain, S.D.

Scenic Stop: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Mistake Number One!


Falls Park: Although a beautiful spectacle the stench was overwhelming.
With burning eyes and throats, we finally had to give up the day and run for the car!

A stinking flow of untreated animal waste and pasture run-off.
A stinking flow of untreated meat processing waste and pasture run-off. “A longstanding aversion to regulation in South Dakota hampers cleanup, some contend.”

South Dakota’s Big Sioux 13th dirtiest in the nation
Listed as the 13th dirtiest in the nation

Despite years of clean-up efforts — millions spent on programs to help rural landowners fence off cows, feedlot owners to invest in animal waste-control systems, industrial and municipal plants to upgrade their equipment — little has changed.

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The Queen Bee Mill park and Sioux Quartzite rock croppings, Sioux Falls, S.D.
The Falls Park, Queen Bee Mill ruins and Sioux Quartzite rock croppings, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Surely you won’t want to taste this water, ick!

Up-close and filthy!
Up-close and filthy!

 

The Meat Packing company, Morrell, which butchers and processes around 17,000 hogs daily, was No. 11 on the report’s list of TRI facilities that discharge chemicals into the nation’s waterways – mostly nitrates from the chemical breakdown of ammonia in pig blood. Nitrates can be harmful in high concentrations if found in drinking water. Bought by Smithfield Foods in 1995. The parent company boasts the largest slaughterhouse and meat-processing plant in the world, located in Tar Heel, North Carolina. Smithfield was purchased in 2013 by the Chinese-based and state-owned holding company Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd. Pollution from the plant continues, unabated…

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A river with great potential.

 

Magical falls, yet ruined by commercial interests.
That’s a lot of toxic water, flowing into the Missouri River downstream and eventually joining the great Mississippi.


Parting shot…
(strongest constitution in the family, she could even smile!)

 

City of Sioux Falls, South Dakota
City of Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Scenic Stop 2: Chamberlain, South Dakota
Overlooking the Missouri River

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Old Hwy 90 bridge

 

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Here is where we take up the Lewis and Clark trail. Later on, we will camp at the 3 forks State Park in Montana.

 

The Lewis and Clark Expedition of
The Lewis and Clark Expedition of

Lewis and Clark

The Corps of Discovery reached the Three Forks of the Missouri on July 25, 1805. More than 2,500 miles from their starting point on the Mississippi River.

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The train trestle over the Missouri River
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Beware of Poisonous Snakes?

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The Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)

South Dakota’s biggest snake, much bigger than the prairie rattler, is the bullsnake …  quite a few probably get killed because of a way bullsnakes have of imitating rattlesnakes. 
Eeks!

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4 pm and only 135 miles to go to reach Badlands National Park …

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