This interview originally aired on In the Moment on SDPB Radio.
The Missouri River's periodic flooding historically cleared off sandbars for the piping plover to build their nests. Dams and river management have prevented that flooding, leading to stagnant, plant-filled sandbars.
Plovers, a vulnerable bird species, can't build their nests without cleared sandbars.
So, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will use aquatic herbicide sprayed throughout September to create the plover's natural habitat. Galen Jons, a natural resource specialist, explains how it works.