With summer officially here, thousands of Arkansans will flock to the state's many beautiful lakes. Arkansas is blessed with both natural and man-made lakes that are perfect for boating, swimming, fishing and other recreational activities. One of those bodies of water is Lake DeGray near Arkadelphia (Clark County).
The lake and dam take its name from the misspelling of a French fur trader named DeGraff, who settled the Lake DeGray region in the early 1800s.
The site where DeGray Dam was built had been considered for a dam since 1908, when Harvey Couch, founder of Arkansas Power & Light (now Entergy Arkansas Inc.), visited the area with the idea of creating another hydroelectric project. In 1950, as part of the River and Harbors Act, Congress authorized a dam to be built on the Caddo River. But funding was delayed due to the Korean War. At the urging of U.S. Sen. John McClellan and U.S Rep. Oren Harris, both of Arkansas, Congress added money for the dam in the 1959 Water Supply Act.
The Vicksburg District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, began work on DeGray Dam in 1962 and completed it in 1972 at a cost of $63.8 million. Potashnick Construction Co. of Cape Girardeau, Missouri built the dam and dike, while Arkansas Rock & Gravel Co. in nearby Murfreesboro (Pike County) built the spillway.
The 14,000-acre lake has an average depth of 47 feet. While Lake DeGray’s main purpose was initially for flood control, it has become an important water source and recreational area. DeGray Dam is also a producer of hydroelectric power, which makes the lake one of the most efficient and energy producing projects in the southern U.S.
The Corps owns and operates nine campgrounds around the lake, including two playgrounds, five swim areas, several miles of biking trails, five miles of hiking trails and 11 boat ramps. A visitors’ center, featuring the history of the area and the construction of the dam and lake, is operated near DeGray Dam.
With a lease from the Corps, the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism opened DeGray Lake Resort State Park in 1974 just a few miles north of DeGray Dam. By 1975, an 18-hole golf course was added to the park. Other amenities include campsites with electric and water hookups, an amphitheater, a visitors’ center, tennis and basketball courts, a horseback riding stable, hiking trails, picnic areas, boat ramps and swimming beaches.
The centerpiece of DeGray Lake Resort State Park is the 94-room lodge and convention center. The center is available for family reunions, company retreats, conventions and lakefront weddings. A restaurant and day spa are also located there. The lodge was privately managed from 1975 until the state parks division of the Department of Parks & Tourism assumed operation in 1985.
Thanks to the state's one-eighth conservation tax, which voters approved in 1996 to provide funds for the Department of Parks & Tourism, the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, and Keep Arkansas Beautiful, $10 million has been spent on improvements and renovations at the park.
And Lake DeGray is a fisherman’s mecca. The lake hosts numerous fishing tournaments and is home to large populations of catfish and crappie. It's also known for its excellent hybrid striped bass fishery. These fish are stocked in the lake, since no natural reproduction takes place in its waters.
Lake DeGray’s shoreline is pristine with beautiful views of the Ouachita Mountains and forests. No houses are allowed to be built on Lake DeGray, which helps preserve the natural shoreline.
Whether it’s a day trip to the lake for swimming or boating or a weekend spent camping or staying in the state park lodge, Lake DeGray is the perfect place this time of year. And the natural beauty you’ll find there helps give Arkansas its nickname, “The Natural State.”
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