Bull Shoals Lake is an artificial lake or

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

in the

Ozark Mountains The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...

of northern

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

and southern

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, United States. It has hundreds of miles of lake arms and coves, and common activities include boating, water sports, swimming, and fishing. Nineteen developed parks around the shoreline provide campgrounds, boat launches, swim areas, and marinas.

History

Bull Shoals Dam was created to impound the White River by one of the largest concrete

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

s in the United States and was the fifth largest dam in the world at its inception. Work on the dam began in 1947, was completed in 1951 and dedicated by President

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

in 1952. At least seven small family cemeteries and 20 larger cemeteries were meticulously relocated to accommodate the new lake. Recent national events include Brostock 2010 and 2011 and the TBF Bass Federation and Bassmaster Elite Series Tournaments in 2012.

Hydrology

Bull Shoals Lake impounds the White River for the last time as water travels toward its mouth on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. Bull Shoals is thus the lake farthest downstream in a chain of four artificial lakes that include (from upstream to downstream) Beaver Lake,

Table Rock Lake Table Rock Lake is an artificial lake or reservoir in the Ozarks of southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas in the United States. Designed, built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the lake is impounded by Table Rock Dam, ...

and Lake Taneycomo. The lake is controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers and has the primary purpose of flood control. The level of the lake fluctuates regularly with a normal pool level elevation of above sea level, which is locally known as powerpool. However, the lake regularly fluctuates between an elevation of . The upper part of the lake, below nearby Powersite Dam, is known as the "Pothole". The shoreline of the lake is undeveloped and protected by a buffer zone (locally called the "take line") owned, operated, managed, and controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers. The dam is designed for a maximum elevation of (top of the flood pool). Bull Shoals Lake covers with a shoreline at powerpool to more than with a shoreline at . The bottom of the lake consists of bedrock with very limited vegetation. The shoreline is heavily forested.

State park

The Bull Shoals-White River State Park is a park in Baxter and Marion Counties of Arkansas both above and below the massive dam. Facilities, including camping, pavilions, dock and interpretive programs, stretch along the banks of the White River. Along the lakeshore, the park offers picnic sites and playgrounds.

Flooding in 2008 and 2011

In the spring of 2008, due to the record rainfall, Bull Shoals reached its highest water level since 1957. The lake crested at above sea level, prompting the Army Corps of Engineers to open the floodgates to relieve the lake from further flooding. A record crest of was achieved at 5 p.m. on May 27, 2011, due to record rainfall, exceeding the Spring 2008 lake levels and 1957 levels.

References

External links