Beaver Dam: Power & Flood Control

Beaver Dam holds back the White River to form Beaver Lake near Eureka Springs. Its concrete face is impressive, but the more interesting story is how one project connects power, flood control, drinking water, recreation and the cold-water trout fishery below the dam.

 

Beaver Dam at a glance

• Built: 1960–1966

• Height: 228 feet above the streambed

• Length: 2,575 feet

• Hydropower: two 56-megawatt generating units

• Lake: roughly 28,000 acres at the normal conservation pool

 

Beaver is part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ White River system. These figures describe the dam and lake, while actual water levels, flows and generation change with conditions.

 

Why Beaver Dam was built

The Corps began construction in 1960 and completed the project in 1966. Beaver Lake stores water for flood risk reduction, hydroelectric power, public water supply and recreation. The same water also supports fish and wildlife in and around the reservoir.

 

Those purposes are connected. Decisions about when to hold or release water affect lake elevation, downstream flow and access along the shoreline.

 

How hydropower works

When water passes through the powerhouse, it turns turbines connected to generators. Beaver Dam has two units rated at 56 megawatts each, for a combined 112 megawatts of installed capacity. The plant does not generate at full capacity all the time; operation depends on available water, power demand and other requirements.

 

The Corps operates the project. The Southwestern Power Administration markets its federal hydropower to wholesale customers.

 

Why lake levels and river flows change

After heavy rain, Beaver Lake can hold part of the runoff and release it later as conditions downstream allow. That is one reason the lake may stay high after skies clear. During drier periods, lower inflow, evaporation, water supply and operating releases can bring levels down.

 

Below the dam, generation and other releases can raise the White River quickly. If you fish or wade there, watch posted warnings, listen for the warning horn and keep a safe route back to shore. Never rely on a previous day’s release pattern.

 

A cold-water White River

Water released from deep in Beaver Lake is much colder than the lake surface in warm weather. That cold flow created a trout-supporting tailwater below the dam—one of the most striking ways the project changed the local landscape.

 

Our guided fishing charters explore this stretch of the White River. The river’s current and conditions depend on dam operations, so check current information before visiting on your own.

 

Explore the area

From the dam overlook, you can see how the reservoir and the downstream White River meet. Across Beaver Lake, the Big Clifty arm offers a very different view: forested coves, rock bluffs and water access near Eureka Springs.

 

See the dedicated Big Clifty Park section below for the local launch point, parking and visitor details. For current lake levels and operational information, consult the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before your trip.