Location: Gillham Dam is located at mile 49 if the Cossatot River in Howard County, Arkansas, about six miles northeast of Gillham, Arkansas. The reservoir is located in Howard and Polk counties, Arkansas.
Purpose: The Flood Control Act approved July 3, 1958, for flood control, water supply, water quality, and fish and wildlife conservation, authorized the dam for construction. Although recreation was not approved as a specific project purpose, it was included as incidental to the basic authorized purposes.
Construction: Gillham dam construction was started in June 1963 with work on the right access road. This was followed by Howard County road relocations and construction of project buildings. The first concrete in the spillway was poured in November of 1968. Work was halted in February 1971 but resumed in August of 1972. The dam began storing water May 8, 1975.