Before 1800, the Missouri River was one of North America's most diverse and dynamic ecosystems. Since 1800, it has been transformed into a navigation system regulated by reservoirs and flood control structures. Flooding in 1993 and 1996 has had a profound effect on the physical and political landscape of the lower Missouri River. The purpose of this research is to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of wetlands techniques and technologies will be used to answer these questions. Principal among these will be geographic information and image processing systems, which will be used to analyze and interpret photographic, topographic, and geophysical data.