Narrows Dam is a

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 ...

located 6 miles north of

Murfreesboro, Arkansas Murfreesboro is a city in, and the county seat of, Pike County, Arkansas, United States. Its population was 1,641 at the 2010 census. The city is known for the Crater of Diamonds State Park located south of the city. History In 1906, diamond ...

, that impounds the water of the

Little Missouri River (Arkansas) The Little Missouri River, or ''Little Mo'', is a waterway that runs from the Ouachita Mountains of southwest Arkansas into the rolling hills area in the surrounding countryside. Overview The Little Missouri River is a rocky mountain river ...

to create

Lake Greeson Lake Greeson is a reservoir on the Little Missouri River, about north of Murfreesboro, Arkansas, United States. Famous for its scenery and recreation, it is surrounded by 15 parks that offer opportunities for camping, fishing, boating, biking, ...

. Narrows Dam was authorized as a

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

control and

hydroelectric power Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

project by the Flood Control Act of 1941. The dam is a feature of the comprehensive plan for the

Ouachita River The Ouachita River ( ) is a river that runs south and east through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana. It is the 25th-longest river in the United State ...

Basin. Lake Greeson is operated for hydroelectric power, recreation, and flood control

The powerhouse of the dam is located adjacent to the east abutment, and it has a total length of 151 feet. The equipment of the powerhouse is three 8,500 kW·h generating machines. The powerhouse originally had two generators, but a third was placed in 1969. The average annual output is 28,000,000 kW·h. The dam is named due to its location on the river, The Narrows. During the dam's construction many cemetery, cemeteries and

graveyards A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

had to be removed due to the creation of the new lake. Narrows Dam is located by the Swaha, or Narrows Dam recreational area. Lake Greeson is divided into three layers so Narrows Dam can work and operate properly. The bottom portion of the lake always remains full so the powerhouse has enough pressure to operate. The middle layer or "Power Storage" portion is used to regulate the flow of water running into the generators of the dam. The top portion or "Flood Storage" is usually empty unless holding floodwater. A

spillway A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure th ...

at the top of the dam is used to regulate the top portion of the dam, the spillway contains walls to maneuver the flow of the water, and a stilling basin is placed at the foot of the spillway to dissipate

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is dis ...

from the spillway water hitting the base of the dam. The spillway is not used frequently because flooding can be regulated by other means, such as the flood control conduits. Because of heavy rains during the first two weeks of May 2009, water poured over the spillway for the first time since 1968. Construction on the dam by the

United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

began in April 1947. The first bucket of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

was poured in June 1948. The dam was finished in 1950, and dedicated in July 1951.

References

{{coord, 34.1485, -93.7156, type:landmark_region:US-AR, display=title Energy infrastructure completed in 1950 Buildings and structures in Pike County, Arkansas Dams in Arkansas Hydroelectric power plants in Arkansas United States Army Corps of Engineers dams Little Missouri River (Arkansas) 1950 establishments in Arkansas

See also

References