Little Rock District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

barge navigates the Dardanelle Lock and Dam

Missions: Navigation, Hydropower, Recreation

Navigation, commerce, recreation, and hydropower, the Dardanelle Lock and Dam outside of Russellville, Arkansas has it all. Seen here from the overlook at Old Post Park, a barge navigates the lock as it works its way downriver.

initial work complete at McLean Bottom Levee

Mission: Civil Works and Disaster Recovery

Workers completing the initial repairs to the McLean Bottom Levee near Paris, Arkansas. Damaged during the 2019 high-water event, the Little Rock District worked closely with the Arkansas Levee Task Force as well as state and local leaders to begin repairing the damage. With this work done, the levee now has a 25-year level of protection.

barge locking through at Ozark-Jetta Taylor Lock and Dam

Mission: Navigation

Headed down the Arkansas, a barge locks through at the Ozark-Jetta Taylor Lock and Dam. Located at mile 308 of the river, the Ozark lock and dam is just one unit of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) that originates at the Port of Catoosa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Running southeast through Oklahoma and Arkansas to the Mississippi River, the MKARNS ensures a 9-foot navigable channel for commercial barge traffic. The MKARNS is a "high-use" waterway system that routinely sees more than 10 million tons of traffic a year.

Mission: Water Management

The Little Rock District monitors and directs the release of water from 25 water resource projects. Our efforts support flood control, hydropower, navigation, fish & wildlife, municipal & industrial water supply, and recreation.

boat moving quickly on a river with a city in the background

Recreation in the Little Rock District.

The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) has amazing recreation opportunities along its entire length. The Little Rock District is among the most visited Corps districts in the nation. The district operates 146 public parks and access areas in Arkansas and southern Missouri. Our 25 multi-purpose lakes and navigation pools, combined with our project lands, provide nearly 500,000 acres of public land and water that offer a full range of outdoor recreation opportunities.

Mission: Medical Support Team

The MST Executes Medical Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization projects primarily in Operational Health Care Facilities. The Little Rock District has executed over $2.6B in MSRM projects since 2009 ranging from $100K to $100M. Current ongoing workload is around 50 projects valued at $750M.

Mission: International and Interagency Support – Providing technical assistance to federal agencies, state and local governments, tribal nations, and private U.S. firms.

Construction is underway for the VA Law Enforcement Training Center Dinning Facility on Fort Roots in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The overall project is for the Design-Build construction of the Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC) student dining facility at the Eugene J. Towbin VA Healthcare Center. The facility/project will include common administrative space, support space, dining space, applicable site-work, utilities, and parking.

Mission: Military Support Program – Nationally-Recognized Knowledge and Experience

Construction is underway on the Little Rock Air Force Base Visiting Quarters in Little Rock, Arkansas. The project consists of a new 4-story Visiting Quarters building which includes 250 guest rooms with 136,322 SF inclusive of back-of-the-house areas, guest laundries, housekeeping, lobby, coffee shop, business center, conference rooms, exercise room, restrooms, and other exterior improvements within the limits of construction. Expected completion date is February 18, 2022.

In alignment with Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction 5400.17 and recent Executive Orders issued by the President, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has reviewed and adjusted its website content to ensure compliance with DoD policies
and priorities.

As a result, certain posts have been removed, are in a process of being removed, or modified to maintain consistency with federal guidance and uphold the integrity of our official communication channels.

Content will be archived in accordance with DA PAM 25–403.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers remains committed to transparency, professionalism, and adherence to DoD directives while continuing to engage with our community in a manner that reflects our core values.

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