Pick-Sloan plan

United States development program

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 17, 2026

Quick Summary

The Pick-Sloan plan was a post-World War II federal development program in the United States that involved constructing numerous dams on the Missouri River and its tributaries. This project significantly impacted Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains by flooding vast areas of their most productive land and forcing the relocation of many families. The dams also altered the river's flow, leading to issues with erosion, silting, and the disruption of natural ecosystems. While the plan aimed for flood control and water resource development, it also resulted in the seizure of tribal lands and ongoing disputes over compensation and land restitution.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains
Sovereignty, economic development, and cultural revitalization
…were economically devastated by the Pick-Sloan plan, a post-World War II federal development program that placed major dams on the Missouri River and numerous smaller dams on its tributaries. This project flooded hundreds of square miles of the tribes’ most economically productive land and forced the relocation of some 1,000…
Read More
…were economically devastated by the Pick-Sloan plan, a post-World War II federal development program that placed major dams on the Missouri River and numerous smaller dams on its tributaries. This project flooded hundreds of square miles of the tribes’ most economically productive land and forced the relocation of some 1,000…
Read More

South Dakota
South Dakota in the 21st century
…that were created through the Pick-Sloan plan resulted in flooding of reservation land. The U.S. Congress authorized payment for the damages and rehabilitation of Sioux lands, but throughout the 1980s and ’90s, the tribes requested additional compensation for their losses. The Water Resources Development Act of 1999 initiated the return…
Read More
…that were created through the Pick-Sloan plan resulted in flooding of reservation land. The U.S. Congress authorized payment for the damages and rehabilitation of Sioux lands, but throughout the 1980s and ’90s, the tribes requested additional compensation for their losses. The Water Resources Development Act of 1999 initiated the return…
Read More