Lake Charles State Park is a Arkansas state park in Lawrence 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 ...

in the

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. Situated in

The Ozarks 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, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant porti ...

along the Black River, the park features the artificial Lake Charles. The lake is a result of a partnership of four agencies to construct a multipurpose lake just north of Shirey Bay Rainey Brake Wildlife Management Area in an effort to control flooding and preserve the watershed. Construction on the lake began in 1964, and the park was dedicated in 1967.

History

The original idea for a lake came in 1954 when the Lawrence County Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors applied to the

U.S. Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of comme ...

’s Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program in the interest of protecting the watershed and preventing flooding downstream. However, the Small Watershed Act was passed before any action could be taken. This allowed for construction that benefited fish and wildlife development. The plans for Lake Charles were changed to that the Shirey Bay Rainey Brake Wildlife Management Area immediately to the south could be supplied with fresh water during hot summer months. The

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is a state agency of Arkansas, headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Steve N. Wilson of Norfork, Arkansas joined the agency in 1968 and became its director in 1979. He resigned in 2000 and died in 2021. I ...

(AGFC) owns and operates all Wildlife Management Areas in Arkansas and became supporters of Lake Charles' construction. Locals showed their support by forming the Flat Creek Watershed Improvement District and obtaining a loan from the Farmers Home Administration. The Publicity and Parks Commission pledged to maintain the lake as Lake Charles State Park and construction began in 1964. Official dedication of Lake Charles State Park took place on May 28, 1967.

Recreation

Lake Charles State Park offers many different opportunities for outdoors enthusiasts including fishing, camping, swimming, and hiking. The lake is maintained by the AGFC, who stock catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, white bass, and others. Camping is available at any of Lake Charles' 61 campsites (23 class AAA, 37 class B, one RV). Lake Charles State Park offers four trails for walking and hiking, ranging from easy to moderate difficulty. Spread throughout the park are picnic areas, a playground, a screened-in pavilion with fans, fishing and boat docks, an interpretive nature center and gift shop.

References

{{authority control State parks of Arkansas Protected areas of Lawrence County, Arkansas Protected areas established in 1967 Bodies of water of Lawrence County, Arkansas Charles 1967 establishments in Arkansas

History

Recreation

See also

References