Swallowed Up in One Gulp: Lost Communities of the Upper Ouachita River Valley

Swallowed Up in One Gulp: Lost Communities of the Upper Ouachita River Valley

Department

History

Description

The completion of Blakely Mountain Dam and Lake Ouachita in the mid-1950s resulted in a total and permanent evacuation of a large portion of the upper Ouachita River Valley. As people sold their property and abandoned local communities, life in what once existed as an ordinary rural uplands Arkansas region transformed into an extraordinary experience.

Blakely Mountain Dam was formally dedicated July 4, 1956, more than thirty years after Harvey Couch's announcement of plans to build a series of dams on the Ouachita River. Today, Lake Ouachita's 48,000 acres create one of the state's - and the South's - most popular lakes. Its picturesque setting and recreational opportunities provide not only enjoyment for thousands of people each year but also significant economic benefits to the surrounding area. When partaking of the lake's many amenities, most never consider the upheaval that occurred as a result of the reservoir project's completion decades ago. The construction of three dams on the upper portion of the Ouachita River meant that the area would never be the same.

ISBN

9780692207710

Publication Date

2005

Document Type

Book

Publisher

Arkansas State University

City

Jonesboro, AR

Publisher Statement

Copyright 2005 Arkansas State University

Keywords

Ouachita River Valley, Arkansas, Louisiana, Ouachita Lake, Blakely Mountain Dam

Disciplines

Public History

Comments

Disertation

Swallowed Up in One Gulp: Lost Communities of the Upper Ouachita River Valley

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