Construction begins on dam Beaver Water District contracts for water rightsġ963. Passage of Water Supply Act approving municipal and industrial water storage in federally constructed reservoirsġ959. Passage of Flood Control Act authorizing addition of Beaver Lake for flood control and power generation to White River planġ958. Passage of Flood Control Act allows Southwest Power Administration to market power generated by lakesġ949. Passage of Flood Control Act authorizing Norfolk and Bull Shoals Damsġ944. Passage of Flood Control Act authorizing Corps to build six flood-control lakes in White River Basinġ941. More flooding causes Congress to approve national flood-control planġ938. Corps begins flood-control study of White River Basinġ937. Great Flood devastates six southern states, including Arkansasġ929. To learn more about the big picture that Beaver Lake is a part of, take a look at these resources:ġ927. He also wrote a synopsis of the project that serves as an invaluable resource for historians. Petermann, project engineer in charge of building Beaver Dam and powerhouse. Many of the images in this exhibit were donated by Thomas E. The lake was one of the first in the nation to include these benefits as part of its mandated purpose. It was only later, around the time that the lake was built, that the lake’s use as a municipal and industrial water supply and as a recreational resource began to take shape. The original purpose of the reservoir was for flood control and power generation. The Corps of Engineers operates the five reservoirs that make up the integrated water resource system in the White River Basin: Beaver, Table Rock (in Missouri), and Bull Shoals (near Mountain Home) on the White River Norfork on the North Fork River and Greers Ferry (near Heber Springs) on the Little Red River. of Charlotte, North Carolina, which together submitted a bid of $15.9 million. The contract for the dam was awarded to the T.L. The money was used to purchase property, relocate cemeteries, roads, and utility lines, clear the reservoir area, build the dam, powerhouse, and auxiliary embankment dams, and engineer and supervise the entire project. The Beaver Lake project cost over $43 million. Instead the dam was built six miles northwest of nearby Eureka Springs. At first the dam was to be built near Beaver, until it was determined that the area’s geography and geology weren’t suitable. The lake’s name comes from the town of Beaver in Carroll County, originally homesteaded by Wilson Beaver. Much of this land came to be covered by the waters of Beaver Lake. Native Americans first benefited from the river, and later homesteaders settled along its banks, raising families, farming land, and operating businesses among the forested hills, limestone bluffs, and deep valleys. ![]() The White was a strong, clear river, home to big catfish and lined with huge walnut and cherry trees. And so began the struggle to secure the authority-and the funds-to build a series of reservoirs along the White River and its tributaries. Many areas across the nation were recommended for improvement, including the White River Basin. Army Corps of Engineers to take action against future disasters. Tremendous floods in the 1920s and 1930s prompted Congress and the U.S. Today many of us think of Beaver Lake as a water source and as a place to enjoy recreational activities, but its original purpose was for power generation and flood control. The landscape and community of Northwest Arkansas changed with the coming of Beaver Lake. What would Northwest Arkansas be like without Beaver Lake? Would we be as economically prosperous? Would we be able to support a large population? Would as many tourists visit? Probably not.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |