Analyses of water level elevations and discharge data on the
lower Missouri River were made at four stations: Hermann,
Missouri, at river mile 97.9; Waverly, Missouri, at river mile
293.5; St. Joseph, Missouri, at river mile 448.2; and Omaha,
Nebraska, at river mile 615.9. Data were originally collected
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Geological
Survey. Analysis was performed at all four stations on data
collected between 1928 and early 1994. Trends for minimum,
maximum, and mean water levels and discharge are all increasing
at the three downriver stations. The same trend was not found
at Omaha, but the data used for that station were questionable.
The relationship between discharge and elevation was calculated
on a yearly basis using a third-order polynomial regression.
Water level elevations increased approximately 5 feet through
time at the same relatively high discharge at the three
downriver stations. No such trend was obvious at these three
stations during relatively low discharges.
