Millwood Lake
Encyclopedia
Millwood Lake is a reservoir
in southwestern Arkansas
, United States
. It is located 9 miles (14.5 km) from Ashdown
. The lake is formed from the dam
ming of the point where the Little River
and the Saline River
meet. The lake's statistics are as followed:
Dam statistics
fishing lakes in the United States. Every year it is home of many bass fishing tournaments and fishing derbies, all in search of Millwood's lunker largemouth bass
. Other species of fauna around the lake include white-tailed deer
, bobwhite quail
, squirrel
, dove
, rabbit
, raccoon
, armadillo
, opossum, fox
, mink
, and beaver
. Boating is also popular in Millwood Lake, but only a little part of the whole surface area of the lake can be used as boating due to the submerged timber that takes up 30000 acres (12,140.6 ha) of the pond. Lake Millwood also has remarkable flora life such as gum, oak
, birch
, pine
, juniper
, flowering shrubs, and wildflowers.
The Millwood Lake project was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1946, and modified by the Flood Control Act of 1958. The dam and lake was designed and built by the Tulsa District of the Army Corps of Engineers, which still maintains the lake's Beard's Bluff
recreation center. The projects construction work began in 1961, and was finished for flood control operations in 1966 at a cost of $44,000,000. The lake and dam was dedicated on December 8, 1966. The lake is the key in the general flood reduction system for the Red River
below Lake Texoma
.
Benefits of the lake have been restoring wildlife, providing water to nearby areas, and preventing an estimate of $9,715,000 in flood damage. In Ashdown, Arkansas, the lake supplies their Domtar
's (formerly Georgia Pacific) Communications Paper Division with 50 million gallons of water each day for its operations. The lake also provides drinking water to the city of Texarkana, Arkansas through a water treatment plant located at Ashdown
.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in southwestern Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located 9 miles (14.5 km) from Ashdown
Ashdown, Arkansas
Ashdown is a city in Little River County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,781 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Little River County.-Geography:Ashdown is located at ....
. The lake is formed from the dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
ming of the point where the Little River
Little River (Red River)
The Little River is a tributary of the Red River, about long, in southeastern Oklahoma and southwestern Arkansas in the United States. Via the Red, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.-Course:...
and the Saline River
Saline River (Little River)
The Saline River is an tributary of the Little River in southwestern Arkansas in the United States. Via the Little and Red rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River....
meet. The lake's statistics are as followed:
Statistics
Lake statistics- Drainage area above the dam: 4144 sq mi (10,732.9 km²)
- Elevation above sea level of the top of flood control pool: 287 ft (87.5 m)
- Elevation above sea level of the top of conservation pool: 259.2 ft (79 m)
- Elevation above sea level of the top of inactive pool: 252 ft (76.8 m)
- Surface area of lake at top of flood control pool: 95200 acres (38,526.1 ha)
- Surface area of lake at top of conservation pool: 29200 acres (11,816.8 ha)
- Shoreline length at top of conservation pool: 65 mi (104.6 km)
Dam statistics
- Length of dam: 17554 ft (5,350.5 m)
- Maximum height of dam above streambed: 88 ft (26.8 m)
- Length of spillway: 616 ft (187.8 m)
- Length of non-overflow section: 271 ft (82.6 m)
- Spillway crest gates (13), size: 40 foot
- Outlet conduits (2), size: 5.67 foot
- Water supply pipe (1), diameter: 6 inch
Overview
Lake Millwood is mainly recognized for its beauty and fishing. There are 15 recreational parks around the lake to provide campers with picnic areas, boat ramps, swimming areas, showers, and restrooms. Millwood is a superb place to fish, mainly due to its 35000 acres (14,164 ha) of submerged timber that make excellent homes for the many varieties of fish in the lake. Millwood has also been known as one of the best bassBass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
fishing lakes in the United States. Every year it is home of many bass fishing tournaments and fishing derbies, all in search of Millwood's lunker largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
. Other species of fauna around the lake include white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, bobwhite quail
Bobwhite Quail
The Northern Bobwhite, Virginia Quail or Bobwhite Quail is a ground-dwelling bird native to the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean...
, squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
, dove
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
, rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
, armadillo
Armadillo
Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...
, opossum, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
, mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
, and beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
. Boating is also popular in Millwood Lake, but only a little part of the whole surface area of the lake can be used as boating due to the submerged timber that takes up 30000 acres (12,140.6 ha) of the pond. Lake Millwood also has remarkable flora life such as gum, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
, pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
, flowering shrubs, and wildflowers.
The Millwood Lake project was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1946, and modified by the Flood Control Act of 1958. The dam and lake was designed and built by the Tulsa District of the Army Corps of Engineers, which still maintains the lake's Beard's Bluff
Beard's Bluff
Beard's Bluff is campground park in Arkansas managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Millwood Lake, near Ashdown, Arkansas. Recreation available includes hiking along the beach, fishing, camping, picnicking and boating...
recreation center. The projects construction work began in 1961, and was finished for flood control operations in 1966 at a cost of $44,000,000. The lake and dam was dedicated on December 8, 1966. The lake is the key in the general flood reduction system for the Red River
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
below Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest Corps of Engineers lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District....
.
Benefits of the lake have been restoring wildlife, providing water to nearby areas, and preventing an estimate of $9,715,000 in flood damage. In Ashdown, Arkansas, the lake supplies their Domtar
Domtar
Domtar Corporation is the largest integrated producer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity, and is also a manufacturer of papergrade pulp....
's (formerly Georgia Pacific) Communications Paper Division with 50 million gallons of water each day for its operations. The lake also provides drinking water to the city of Texarkana, Arkansas through a water treatment plant located at Ashdown
Ashdown
- People :*Jamie Ashdown, footballer*Paddy Ashdown, British politician*Pete Ashdown, US businessman and politician*Peter Ashdown, racing driver*Thomas Albery Ashdown, Lt Commander RNR Rtd...
.
External links
- Millwood Lake
- Fishing Millwood Lake Black Bass, Crappie and Catfish