The Falls of Great Falls

According to Wikipedia: Great Falls is named for a series of five waterfalls located on the Missouri River north and east of the city. The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1805–1806 was forced to portage around a 10-mile (16 km) stretch of the river in order to bypass the falls; the company spent 31 days in the area, performing arduous labor to make the portage. Three of the waterfalls, known as Black Eagle, Rainbow and the Great Falls (or the Big Falls), are among the sites of five hydroelectric dams in the area, giving the city its moniker, “The Electric City”.

So thanks to geocaching, we went in search of the falls. The first stop was Black Eagle.

The falls were there before the hydro plant. The Black Eagle Falls are similar but much smaller than the Sioux Falls falls. See this blog post for a comparison.

The Missouri River contained within the granite walls. 

Farther east was another hydro plant. This was Rainbow Falls.

No sun so no rainbow. We did not see Great Falls and saw only two of the five hydro electric power plants.

Then we went to a spot about halfway between the two hydro plants to this state park.

More water falls. These are a result of Giant Springs, also found and named by Lewis and Clark. However, the natives had first rights to finding and naming.

This was the springs bubbling in the pond area. 

And my arrow pointing to the springs and the size of the pool of water. What makes this so unique is the springs creates the shortest river in the world! Confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records. The water temperature is a constant 54º. The river is 210' long and empties into the Missouri, which is to the left of the 'rock wall.'  Interesting to note: the shortest river flows into the longest.

And a follow-up to the wheat story of yesterday. On our drive to the falls we saw grain elevators, HUGE grain elevators. They were on the south side of the river and we were driving on the north bank.

Sorry about the blurry photo, but Hubby says, hurry up and take the photo. I did. Columbia Falls elevator and...

General Mills. There was a third one, but it was too far away. Now we know where the grain is trucked and sold.