Big Falls (also called Great Falls or Roar of Steam) is a major waterfall located on the Missouri River in western Montana in the United States. It is the lowermost and largest of the Great Falls of the Missouri, at high and up to wide at peak flow. Although the falls used to flow powerfully year-round, most of the water is now diverted to the 60 megawatt hydroelectric plant of upstream Ryan Dam, reducing it to a trickle in the summer months. The dam raised the total height of the water to 177 feet.
The Mandan Indians knew of the group of the falls and called them by a descriptive (but not formal) name: Minni-Soze-Tanka-Kun-Ya,McEneaney, Terry. The Birder's Guide to Montana. Guilford, Conn.: Falcon Press, 1993. or "the great falls."Howard, Ela Mae. Lewis & Clark—Exploration of Central Montana. Rev. ed. Guilford, Conn.: Globe Pequot, 2000. Robbins, Chuck. Great Places: Montana: A Recreational Guide to Montana's Public Lands and Historic Places for Birding, Hiking, Photography, Fishing, Hunting, and Camping. Belgrade, Mont.: Wilderness Adventures Press, 2008. The specific Grand Falls was named by William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805.
Cottonwoods grow nearby, and the nearby shrubland habitat provides an environment for juniper, mule deer, and eagles. Various species of birds live below the falls.
See also List of waterfalls
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