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Dam and Lake Info

Why the Dam? After several floods in the area between 1915 and 1927, Congress initiated the Flood Control Act of 1938 and later the Flood Control Act of 1941. These two acts helped create Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes. Bull Shoals Dam was originally constructed for flood control and power generation. Today, it provides flood control, hydropower, fish and wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and is a water supply source for a county water district.

Construction: Shortly after WWII, the Corp of Engineers began work on Bull Shoals Dam, located on the White River approximately 10 miles west of Mountain Home, Arkansas. Construction started in June of 1947 and was completed in July of 1951. It is a much larger dam than Norfork, and at the time of construction was the 5th largest dam in the world. It extends 2,256 feet across the White River, is 256 feet tall, and contains over 3,700,000 tons of aggregate and 3100 tons of reinforced steel. Over 1,000 personnel labored to complete the project. Because Bull Shoals was a much larger dam than Norfork, the construction superintendent had to handle the unusual problem of how aggregate was going to be delivered to the work site. The solution was a conveyor belt system that had 21 flights, and delivered 650 tons of aggregate per day at a speed of 525 feet per minute over a distance of 7 miles.

Dedication of the Dam: Much to the surprise of the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce, President Harry S. Truman accepted the invitation to dedicate both Bull Shoals and Norfork Dams. President Truman arrived by train into Cotter, gave his speech at Bull Shoals Dam and then returned to Cotter, Arkansas for his departure train. Many other official dignitaries, including Arkansas Governor Sid McMath, accompanied Truman to the dedication. A three day celebration was held in the area which not only included parades and fishing tournaments, but also beauty contests and dances. A special rededication of Bull Shoals Dam was held in 2002 marking the 50th anniversary of the dam.

Updated/Reviewed: 27 Jan 2010