Often when asked where we dive around this part of the country, we spout off Beaver Lake. That just happens to be where we all go dive. Granted some have dove in other lakes. But if you’ve been certified by Extreme Sports SCUBA, you’ve probably found yourself diving in Beaver Lake, at least 2 days. Not to mention if you participate in the New Year’s Day Dive, Memorial Day Fun Dive, the Safari Hunt, or the Underwater Pumpkin Carving. Plus, if you join us for one of the many weekends of certifying students. You know that if we’re there you’re always welcome to come to dive with us.
But have you ever been diving and wondered about Beaver Lake? Please tell me I’m not the only one {crickets}. Okay, well I sometimes get called the “Queen of Google,” because I notoriously look up information. So, I’ll share with you what I was about to find out about Beaver Lake.
Beaver Lake
As early as 1911, the Army Corp of Engineers were looking for a way to control flooding on the White River. It wasn’t until the Flood Control Act of 1944 that Beaver Lake became more than just a pipe dream. After some numbers are thrown around and finally an approval, the initial cost was set at around $60 Million Dollars.
Let’s put $60 Million dollars into current 2019 dollars. If this lake were to be build today at that budget, due to inflation, you’re looking at $515,274,324.32. I’ll bet that 32 cents will be what makes it or breaks it. Haha. And that is just based on inflation. It would probably cost more than that truthfully.
A few stats about Beaver Lake
- Beaver Lake was formed by a Dam across the White River.
- It has approximately 487 miles of shoreline.
- The groundbreaking ceremony took place on November 22, 1960.
- The construction of Beaver Dam took place between 1960 and 1966.
- The approximate length from North to South of the Lake is 50 miles.
- It is approximately 2 miles wide.
- The lake covers 31,700 acres of land.
- Majority of this land is located in Benton County with spill over into Carroll and Washington Counties.
- The Dam is located in Carroll County.
- Maximum depth of the Lake is 216 feet.
- The lake has reached historical lows in 1977, 1984, and 2006 due to droughts.
- January 22, 1977, the lake reached its first record low coming in 27 feet below average depth.
Stats about the Dam
- The dam is located 9 miles from Eureka Springs, AR
- Beaver Dam is 2, 575 feet long
- The concrete section is 1,333 feet long
- Earth and Rock embankment make up the other 1,242 feet of the dam.
- The spillway has a 328-foot drop into the channel below.
Flooding of Beaver Lake:
- When the lake was formed, it flooded the historic remains of Monte Ne.
- During drought years, some structures of Monte Ne become visible again including the amphitheater.
- Most landmarks of Monte Ne were removed, buildings, cemeteries, etc, before the flooding of the valley. These landmarks of the area were removed so there was no interference with boating, fishing, and swimming in the area.
Finally, Beaver Lake
- Beaver Lake is considered a reservoir because it is created by a manmade dam in order to store water.
- There are 12 developed parks that include camping, electric hookups, shower houses, and restroom facilities.
- There are numerous boat drop off/pick up areas as well as swim beaches maintained by the Army Corp of Engineers.
- 7 full-service commercial marina concession areas.
- 8 National Bass Fishing Tournaments per year
- And the lake receives approx. 3.1 million visitors per year.
- The lake is used to provide flood control, hydroelectric power, water supply, and recreation.
- Money raised from hydroelectric power plant goes to pay back the federal government for the loan to purchase the land and build the dam.
Finally, Indian Creek Campground
While I haven’t found any specifics on our area of the campground… I call it our area because this is where we do most of our diving. There are other areas on the lake that are geared for divers. We’ll dive into those (get the pun) in another post. So stay tuned!!
*Information
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5877
Diving this weekend at Beaver Kake