Officials of states along the Missouri River say a study ordered by Congress will help determine if changes are needed in the legally authorized purposes of the six reservoirs built on the river decades ago.

The federal law requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review the original purposes established in the 1944 Flood Control Act that authorized construction of the dams in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. The study is expected to take several years.

Members of the Missouri River Association of States and Tribes discussed the study at a meeting in Pierre. The group will make recommendations on what the study will involve.  Downstream states want water for barge traffic, while upstream states want water kept in reservoirs to support fishing and boating.