Lake Sakakawea

lake, North Dakota, United States

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Last updated

July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

Lake Sakakawea is a large reservoir located in western North Dakota, United States. It was formed on the Missouri River by the completion of the Garrison Dam in 1956. The lake stretches for approximately 200 miles (322 kilometers).1

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Arikara
…the Missouri River bottomlands, creating Lake Sakakawea. More than one-fourth of the Fort Berthold reservation lands were permanently flooded by the rising waters. This and the discovery of oil in the Williston Basin forced another removal, this time to new homes on the arid North Dakota uplands, where farming was…
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…the Missouri River bottomlands, creating Lake Sakakawea. More than one-fourth of the Fort Berthold reservation lands were permanently flooded by the rising waters. This and the discovery of oil in the Williston Basin forced another removal, this time to new homes on the arid North Dakota uplands, where farming was…
Read More

Mandan
…reservation to the waters of Lake Sakakawea, which rose behind the newly built Garrison Dam. With the flooding of the river bottoms, on which had been the best agricultural land, many tribal members shifted from agriculture to ranching or off-reservation pursuits.
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…reservation to the waters of Lake Sakakawea, which rose behind the newly built Garrison Dam. With the flooding of the river bottoms, on which had been the best agricultural land, many tribal members shifted from agriculture to ranching or off-reservation pursuits.
Read More