Beaver Lake Water Level
Arkansas · White River
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Water level history
About Beaver Lake
Beaver Lake is a reservoir on the White River in Arkansas, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It's the source of drinking water for much of Northwest Arkansas. Its full summer pool sits at 1120 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Beaver Lake's water level
Beaver Lake is the uppermost of the big Corps of Engineers dams on the White River, tucked into the Ozark highlands of Northwest Arkansas, and it does double duty as both a recreation lake and the drinking-water source for much of the region. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District, operates it for flood control, hydropower, water supply and recreation. Its conservation pool sits at 1,120 feet above sea level, and the Corps keeps room above that line to catch runoff, so the lake rises after heavy Ozark rains and is then eased back down.
Because Beaver is a highland storage lake, its level tracks how wet the basin has been over the season rather than any single storm. It climbs through wet winters and springs and drifts down through dry summers and droughts as water is released for power and downstream flow. That water is not only for boaters: the Beaver Water District draws from the lake to supply drinking water to a large share of Northwest Arkansas, on the order of hundreds of thousands of people, which is one reason its level and clarity are watched so closely.
Beaver Dam is also the start of the White River's famous cold-water chain. Water released from deep in the lake feeds a trout tailwater below the dam and, further down, the string of trout fisheries that make the White River nationally known. On the lake itself, clear water and rocky shorelines make Beaver a popular bass-tournament and boating destination, with roughly a dozen developed recreation areas, several full-service marinas, and dozens of boat ramps ringing the shoreline. When the lake runs low in a drought, the shallowest of those ramps are the first to come up short of the water.
Beaver Lake — frequently asked
Why does Beaver Lake's water level change?
The Corps operates Beaver as a flood-control, hydropower and water-supply lake on the upper White River. It is held near a conservation pool of 1,120 feet and rises above that to store runoff after heavy rain, then is drawn back down as water is released for power, downstream flow and water supply. Its level mainly tracks how wet or dry the Ozark basin has been.
What is conservation pool for Beaver Lake?
Conservation, or normal, pool is 1,120 feet above sea level. The Corps keeps additional storage space above that elevation to capture floodwater, so readings a few feet above or below 1,120 are part of normal operation.
Does Beaver Lake supply drinking water?
Yes. The Beaver Water District withdraws from the lake to supply drinking water to much of Northwest Arkansas, on the order of hundreds of thousands of people, which is a major reason the lake's level and water quality are closely monitored.
What is the water like below Beaver Dam?
Beaver is the first dam in the White River chain, and cold water released from deep in the lake creates a trout tailwater below the dam that feeds the White River's nationally known trout fishing further downstream.
Why is Beaver Lake low during a drought?
As a highland storage reservoir, Beaver falls when the Ozark basin stays dry for an extended period and the Corps keeps releasing water for power, downstream flow and water supply with less coming in. A single rain barely moves it; sustained drought is what pulls it well below the 1,120-foot pool.
What is Beaver Lake used for?
It provides flood control, hydropower, water supply and recreation. Its clear water and rocky shoreline make it a popular bass-fishing and boating lake, with about a dozen developed recreation areas, several marinas and dozens of ramps.
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