USACE announces location change for the Beaver Lake land acquisition willing seller meeting

ROGERS, Ark. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is hosting a willing seller meeting to discuss the potential purchase of low-lying property surrounding Beaver Lake which is either constantly or periodically inundated. The meeting will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 30, 2024, at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center, 3400 N 40^th Street, Springdale, Arkansas.

A brief presentation of the acquisition process will begin at 5:15 p.m., followed by an opportunity for landowners to meet individually with Little Rock District representatives to discuss their specific parcels.

The Flood Control Act of 1954 authorized construction of Beaver Lake for the purposes of flood control and hydroelectric power production. A Real Estate Design Memorandum developed prior to construction identified land necessary for the operation, maintenance, and control of the reservoir, but the methods and technology used at the time to identify and purchase these lands left several frequently inundated areas unacquired by USACE.

USACE has reviewed site-specific data at areas around the reservoir, the White River, and War Eagle Creek where water routinely inundates privately-owned property at the seasonal conservation pool or flood pool and estimates approximately 500 landowners are impacted. The potential acquisition of affected parcels is expected to take several years, contingent on available funding. 

Members of the public can visit the Beaver Land Acquisition website at https://www.swl.usace.army.mil/Home/NR1 for more information, view National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents, and view an interactive GIS map to see what areas USACE is interested in buying. Interested sellers are asked to provide their information via the web form provided on the website if they want to be included in the willing seller meeting.

Recreation information can be found on the Internet at www.swl.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/littlerockusace and on X at www.X.com/usacelittlerock.