Millwood Lake
Millwood Lake
Location	Southwestern Arkansas
Coordinates	33°45.83′N 94°1.23′W / 33.76383°N 94.02050°W / 33.76383; -94.02050
Type	Reservoir
Catchment area	4,144 sq mi (10,730 km2)
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	29,200 acres (11,800 ha)
Shore length1	65 mi (105 km)
Surface elevation	259.2 ft (79.0 m)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Millwood Lake is a reservoir in southwestern Arkansas, United States. It is located 9 miles (14 km) from Ashdown and is formed from the damming of the point where Little River and Saline River meet.

Statistics

Lake statistics:

• Drainage area above the dam: 4,144 sq mi (10,730 km²)
• Elevation above sea level of the top of the flood control pool: 287 ft (87 m)
• Elevation above sea level of the top of the conservation pool: 259.2 ft (79.0 m)
• Elevation above sea level of the top of the inactive pool: 252 ft (77 m)
• The surface area of the lake at the top of the flood control pool: 95,200 acres (38,500 ha)
• The surface area of the lake at the top of the conservation pool: 29,200 acres (11,800 ha)
• Shoreline length at top of conservation pool: 65 mi (105 km)

Dam statistics:

• Length of dam: 17,554 ft (5,350 m)
• Maximum height of the dam above streambed: 88 ft (27 m)
• Length of spillway: 616 ft (188 m)
• Length of non-overflow section: 271 ft (83 m)
• Spillway crest gates (13), size: 40 ft × 32 ft (12.2 m × 9.8 m)
• Outlet conduits (2), size: 5.67 ft × 6 ft (1.73 m × 1.83 m)
• Water supply pipe (1), diameter: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)

Overview

Lake Millwood^[1] is mainly recognized for its fishing and birding access.^[2] It is also known for housing the 1,380-pound alligator, which was caught in the lake in 2012.^[3] Its 35,000 acres (14,000 ha) of submerged timber provide homes for the many varieties of fish in the lake, including the indigenous Millwood lunker largemouth bass. Other species of fauna around the lake include white-tailed deer, bobwhite quail, squirrel, dove, rabbit, raccoon, armadillo, opossum, fox, mink, American gator, and beaver. Boating is also popular on Millwood Lake,^[4] but only a small part of the whole surface area of the lake can be used for boating due to the submerged timber that takes up 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) of the pond. Lake Millwood^[5] also has a diverse flora life, with many plants and trees such as gum, oak, birch, pine, juniper, flowering shrubs, and wildflowers.

History

The Millwood Lake project was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1946, and modified by the Flood Control Act of 1958. The dam and lake were designed and built by the Tulsa District of the Army Corps of Engineers,^[6] which still maintains the lake's Beard's Bluff recreation center. The project's construction work began in 1961 and was finished for flood control operations in 1966 for $44,000,000. The lake and dam were dedicated on December 8, 1966. The lake is the key to the general flood reduction system for the Red River below Lake Texoma.

Water use

The benefits of the lake have been restoring wildlife, providing water to nearby areas, and preventing an estimated $9,715,000 in flood damage. In Ashdown, Arkansas, the lake supplies Domtar's (formerly Georgia-Pacific) Communications Paper Division with 50 million gallons of water each day for its operations. The lake also provides drinking water to the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, through a water treatment plant located at Ashdown.

See also

• List of Arkansas dams and reservoirs

References

External links

• Millwood Lake at the Library of Congress Web Archives (archived 2009-06-18)
• Bathymetric Map, Area/Capacity Table, and Sediment Volume Estimate for Millwood Lake, Near Ashburn, Arkansas, 2013 United States Geological Survey
• Fishing Millwood Lake Black Bass, Crappie, and Catfish