There are very few Corps of Engineer Campgrounds in South Dakota but we found one in the Left Tailrace Campground below the dam on Lake Francis.
I love being by water but usually I am never a fan of being below a Dam. It does make me a tad nervous but I admit we had a very nice, educational and relaxing stay here. The site we parked was roomy but not very level but we could see the lake. We were able to ride our bikes a bit but used the time mostly to learn about the area.
Wikipedia gives the best rundown:
Lake Francis Case is a large reservoir impounded by Fort Randall Dam on the Missouri River in south-central South Dakota, United States. The lake has an area of 102,000 acres (410 km2) and a maximum depth of 140 ft (43 m).[1] Lake Francis Case has a length of approximately 107 mi (172 km) and has a shoreline of 540 mi (870 km).[1] The lake is the eleventh-largest reservoir in the United States and is located within the counties of: Charles Mix, Gregory, Lyman, Brule, and Buffalo. The lake stretches from Pickstown, South Dakotaupstream to Big Bend Dam.
The reservoir is named for former United States SenatorFrancis Higbee Case, of South Dakota.[3]
The Fort Randall Dam and concomitant reservoir were authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944 and built next to a historic 1856 military base: Fort Randall. The dam began construction by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1946, and in 1954, its operation was inaugurated by then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower.[4] The resulting reservoir, Lake Francis Case, flooded White Swan, a Native American settlement that had existed along the river. The population of the community was forced to move elsewhere, with many settling in Lake Andes, South Dakota.[5] Lake Andes, nevertheless, experiences flooding.[6]
However, the part I am most interested in is the human factor of the areas we are exploring. Fort Thomson who is the town and community closest to the Left Tailrace Dam is fighting property that makes one’s heart hurt. Wikipedia puts it this way:
With such high rates of poverty, unemployment, and other negative social indicators, the living conditions found in the town and county are often compared to a third world nation. Accounts of the town report rundown neighborhoods with old newspapers, tin foil, or old sheets covering windows of some homes. The latest census figures show that 21% of houses do not have a kitchen or plumbing. The housing stock is largely overcrowded, with cases of 15 to 20 people living in a modest house.[8][9] 2000 census figures show that more than 21% of houses are overcrowded. A quarter of the residents do not have an automobile and have to walk or bicycle very long distances to work or services in the low density area.[10]
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