Lake Dardanelle and Winthrop-Rockefeller Lake
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The Lake Dardanelle and Winthrop-Rockefeller Lakes are two lakes that lie on the Arkansas River near Russellville, Arkansas and Morrilton, Arkansas. The lakes are only separated by Dardanelle Dam.
Contents |
[edit] Lake Dardanelle
| Lake Dardanelle | |
|---|---|
| Location | Arkansas |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Arkansas River |
| Primary outflows | Arkansas River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 160 km² |
Lake Dardanelle is a major lake along the Arkansas River in Arkansas. Russellville, Arkansas lies on Lake Dardanelle, and the lake provides many recreational opportunities. Lake Dardanelle covers nearly 40,000 acres (160 km²) of land, which provides lots of area for boating, fishing, picnicking, camping, and scenic views. The lake expands from Dardanelle Dam near Russellville, into Pope, Yell, Logan, Johnson, and Franklin Counties. The lake reaches 50 miles upstream the Arkansas River and has 315 miles of shoreline. Each recreational park on Dardanelle has drinking water, picnic tables, and toilet facilities. Most have trailer dump stations, boat launch ramps, and electrical sites.
[edit] Winthrop-Rockefeller Lake
| Winthrop-Rockefeller Lake | |
|---|---|
| Location | Arkansas |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Arkansas River |
| Primary outflows | Arkansas River |
| Basin countries | United States |
Winthrop-Rockefeller Lake is what you could call a "twin lake" to Dardanelle; it starts right below the Dardanelle Dam and extends almost 3 miles southeast to the Arthur V. Ormond Lock and Dam near Morrilton, Arkansas. These lakes have been popular to fishermen because of their large supply of catfish, white bass, bream, crappie, and other species of bass. Fishing is not the only reason for visitors, however; Petit Jean Mountain is close to the area and provides scenic views for visitors along the lake. The Ozark and Ouachita Mountains also offer great scenery and have mountain springs and recreation parks in abundance. The mountains of the Ozarks and Ouachitas are abundant in wildlife. The bald eagle often uses this area for wintering. Eagles can be seen here from late fall through early spring.
[edit] Construction
Before the early 1900s, the Arkansas River was a rough river for navigation. An improvement of the Arkansas River for navigation was needed, so the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System was established for "improvement of the Arkansas River and its tributaries in Arkansas and Oklahoma". This project was authorized by the River and Harbor Act of 1946. Construction on Dardanelle Lake, Lock, Dam, and Powerhouse started on June, 1957, but it was not completed until November, 1969 with a total project cost of $82,300,000. Construction on the Arthur V. Ormond Lock and Dam began on January, 1966. That project was completed on November, 1969 at a total cost of $32,200,000. Those two projects helped complete the dream of a navigable Arkansas River.
