Wilbur D. Mills Dam is a
steel dam
A steel dam is a type of dam (a structure to impound or retard the flow of water) that is made of steel, rather than the more common masonry, earthworks, concrete or timber construction materials.
Relatively few examples were ever built. Of the t ...
and generating facility located on the
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United ...
in
Arkansas County and
Desha County,
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
, United States.
The dam is part of the
McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, and is named for
Wilbur D. Mills, a member of
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from Arkansas.
Design
Wilbur D. Mills Dam is high, and consists of a long earthen embankment, a long high-level overflow, and a long spillway.
History
The course of the lower Arkansas River changes significantly downstream from the location of the dam, where the river follows a long winding route until it reaches its outflow at the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...
, approximately southeast. This circuitous portion of the Arkansas River between the current dam location and the Mississippi River was historically bypassed by river vessels; early steamboats instead followed a network of rivers—known as the Arkansas Post Canal—which flowed north of the lower Arkansas River, and followed a shorter and more direct route to the Mississippi River. When the
McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System was constructed between 1963 and 1970, the Arkansas Post Canal was significantly improved, while the lower Arkansas River continued to be bypassed by river vessels. For this reason, the dam was erected with no
lock
Lock(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
*Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lock ...
facilities because the waters downstream of the dam were used only by small recreational boats. Access to the Arkansas Post Canal is northwest of the Wilbur D. Mills Dam.
The dam was at first called Dam Number 2, and was constructed between 1963 and 1968.
[
In 1982, flooding along the Arkansas River caused 38 barges to break loose between and upstream from the dam. Fourteen of the barges struck the dam while two passed through the dam's open gate bays. Initial repairs cost $141,000, and additional repairs were initiated in 1990.
A hydroelectric power plant was installed at the dam between 1994 and 1999. Completed at a cost of $189 million, the plant has a generating capacity of 102.6 megawatts.]
Recreation area
The Wilbur D. Mills Campground is located on the Arkansas County side of the dam. The campground has 21 campsites and a boat launch.
See also
* List of dams and reservoirs in Arkansas
References
{{Reflist
Dams in Arkansas
Dams completed in 1968
Dams on the Arkansas River