Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine are a pair of
man-made lakes located in
Hot Springs, Arkansas, serving as a tourist attraction for the area. Both Lakes were developed by
Arkansas Power & Light.
History
Lake Hamilton
Lake Hamilton is a
reservoir near
Lake Hamilton, Arkansas and Hot Springs, Arkansas, located on the
Ouachita River. It was named after Hamilton Moses, who later became president and chairman of the board for Arkansas Power and Light. The lake was created in 1932, formed as a result of Carpenter Dam (after
Flavius Josephus Carpenter) which was constructed to generate
hydroelectric power. The dam, which extends in a length of and a height of high, was completed in earlier in 1931.
The lake subsequently functioned as a recreational site after it started attracted tourists, later spurring the development of resorts, restaurants, and motels in its area, along with various water sport facilities. The
Garvan Woodland Gardens, a botanical park is located along its shore. Carpenter Dam was later listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
Lake Catherine
Lake Catherine is the smaller of the two lakes, sized at . The
Lake Catherine State Park
Lake Catherine State Park is a public recreation area located on the south shore of Lake Catherine, southeast of Hot Springs, Arkansas. The park was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Three stone-and-wood cabins, a former c ...
is located on the lake's shore. The lake was created in the 1920's with the building of Remmel Dam, a concrete-and-steel Ambursen-type buttressed dam. Remmel Dam was created to provide hydroelectricity, but the lake later developed into a recreational site as a result of lake's location next to Hot Springs.
Accidents
On May 1, 1999, an accident involving the tourist boats on Lake Hamilton resulted in the deaths of thirteen people. Former
State Senator
A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
Description
A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...
Jim Keet, who was boating with his family at the time of the tragedy, co-sponsored a bill that added several new water safety rules to the Arkansas code four years earlier, including the requirement that children wear life preservers on most boats. However, the provision did not apply to
DUKW ("duck") boats, the kind involved in the tragedy, which sank with barely thirty seconds of warning.
Gallery
Lake Hamilton
Lake Hamilton.jpg, Lake Hamilton viewed from Garvan Woodland Gardens property.
Lake Hamilton 004.jpg, Lake Hamilton
Lake Hamilton 002.jpg, Lake Hamilton
Garvan Woodland Gardens 001.jpg, Garvan Woodlands Gardens by Lake Hamilton
Garvan Woodland Gardens 002.jpg, Garvan Woodlands Gardens by Lake Hamilton
Lake Catherine
NPS hot-springs-regional-map.pdf, Regional map over Hot Springs
Lake Catherine State Park 001.jpg, Lake Catherine
See also
*
List of Arkansas dams and reservoirs
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Garland County, Arkansas
*
References
External links
Lake Catherine State ParkLake CatherineLake Hamilton
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lake Hamilton And Lake Catherine
Hamilton
Protected areas of Garland County, Arkansas
Protected areas of Hot Spring County, Arkansas
Buildings and structures in Garland County, Arkansas
Buildings and structures in Hot Spring County, Arkansas
Bodies of water of Garland County, Arkansas
Bodies of water of Hot Spring County, Arkansas
Dams on the National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas
National Register of Historic Places in Hot Spring County, Arkansas
National Register of Historic Places in Garland County, Arkansas
Ouachita River
Entergy
Lake Catherine State Park