ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Missouri River

The Missouri River is like a big long snake that winds through the middle of America. It's one of the longest rivers in America, and it goes all the way from Montana to Missouri. It's very special because it has lots of important things inside it, like fish and water and rocks.

People like the Missouri River because they can use it for many different things. They can use it for transportation, so they can move things like food and other important things from one place to another. They can also use it for fun activities like swimming or fishing or even riding on boats.

The Missouri River starts in a place called the Rocky Mountains. This is a very big and tall mountain range full of snow and rocks. When the snow melts on the mountains, it goes down into the river and makes it bigger and stronger. The water in the river can be very fast and very powerful.

The Missouri River is so important to people that they have made lots of big dams all along it. A dam is like a big wall that is built in the river. When the water gets to the dam, it builds up on one side and makes a big lake called a reservoir. People can use the water in the reservoir for all sorts of things like drinking water, electricity, and irrigation for planting crops.

So, in summary, the Missouri River is a long, winding river that starts in the Rocky Mountains and goes all the way to Missouri. It's really important to people because they use it for transportation, fun activities, and for things like drinking water and electricity. And they have built big dams to stop the water and make big lakes called reservoirs so they can use the water for all sorts of things.