Lake Ouachita in Arkansas: One of the Cleanest Lakes in the United States

Lake Ouachita is one of the cleanest lakes you'll find in the United States. It was created by the Corps of Engineers in 1953 after building Blakely Dam. This dam was authorized in 1944 by the Flood Control Act, but construction didn't begin until 1948. The name Ouachita is pronounced "Washita" (WAH -shi-tah) and is the French spelling of the Indian word Washita which means "good hunting grounds". Not only is it still good hunting grounds, but is a great fishing lake as well.

Blakely Dam is an earthen dam. It's not made of concrete, but of rolled earth, about four million cubic yards of it. It measures 231 feet tall and 1,100 feet in width. Built for flood control, it also produces power. As the dam ages, it's now 55 years old, it's strength comes into question. If this dam were to break, major flooding would occur in Hot Springs and any other towns and cities along the Ouachita River pathway. During the aftermath of September 11th, Blakely Dam was placed on the list of top ten bridges that might be a target to terrorists. Serious precautions were made to guard the dam during this frightening period in the United States. Although security has let up, it is still a scary reality that if this dam gives, devastating death and destruction would occur. So, not only is this dam important for flood control and power, it's strength is very important for the safety of all living below it.

Lake Ouachita is located in the 1.6 million acres of the Ouachita National Forest. It is Arkansas's largest lake - 66,324 total acres of land and water, 40,000 acres of just water with 20,000 acres around the lake open for hunting. It boasts 24 recreation areas, 9 resorts, 1 State Park, 150 picnic areas, over 800 campsites, houseboats rentals, 5 playgrounds, 10 public swimming areas (although you can swim anywhere on the lake that is not posted as off limits), 32 hiking trail miles, a brand new Vista Trail System (still in the process of being completed), 3 fishing docks (resorts and marinas offer more for paying customers), 29 public boat ramps, 10 marinas, and 3,078 boat rental slips for those wanting to house their boats on the lakes (of course, a monthly fee occurs with this).

Supposedly no homes are allowed to be built on the lake, but that's not completely true. Certain areas have been leased by the COE to private companies/people and they have been granted permission to build condos, hotels, homes and even mobile homes in the area. This has caused a lot of controversy. The public has a fear that the private companies will eventually get more and more land and the lake will no longer be available for public use. As of now, you can spend a day on the beach for a fee of $3 per car. This also applies for the boat ramps. But, with the private companies, the fees go up making it harder for the locals to enjoy the lake. Another problem expressed by locals is the reservation system that the COE put into place a few years ago. All of the really good campsites are now reserve only and what happens with that is, people from out of state reserve the really good sites several weekends in a row. This ties up the site. They do this because a lot of time they don't know the exact date they'll be able to visit, so they just block several. In turn, they don't show up and the site cannot be rented out and money is lost. The reservation system does not charge them for not showing up. Think about hotels. If you make a reservation, you give a credit card number. You are saying you will be there on that date. You don't show up and you don't call and cancel, so the hotel charges you because they couldn't rent the room because they were waiting on you to show up. It should be the same with the campsites. These people make a reservation, don't show up, they should be charged. It's pretty bad when all campsites are full and locals wanting to camp are turned away because the vacant sites have reservations. The whole reservation system is really frowned upon by the locals.

There used to be a town where the lake now is. Everyone had to be relocated in order for the dam building process to begin. The land was not cleared of trees before flooding, so there is a huge underwater forest. Some buildings, cars and machinery were left and now are favorite scuba sites. The deepest area of the lake is 200 feet, so diving is very easy to do in the lake. It also offers a very clear view since it is so clean.

It also offers over 200 islands - which are the tops of the mountains. Boaters love to go to these for a day of fun or a weekend of camping. If you really like to rough it - no running water and no electricity - this is the way to experience the lake. Most of the islands have areas that have been so used over the years, it's easy to pitch a tent. You don't have to do much ground work to prepare the site for the tent. All that is asked is that you take all of your trash with you when you leave. Leave it clean and ready for the next group to enjoy!

Fishing is a huge draw of Lake Ouachita. It is the main lake that my family boats and fishes on. It offers a variety for every type of fisherman/woman. Probably the most fun and easiest to catch are the Bream. But the lake offers better keepers than that, such as largemouth bass, small mouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, catfish, walleye and striped bass. Lake Ouachita is known as the Striped Bass Capital of the World. Not only can you fish, but many people enjoy spear fishing as well. Many tournaments are held on the lake throughout the year drawing big name fishermen and many of the locals. If you like to fish, but need a little extra help, there are several guides available. Of course, not everyone likes to fish. For those people, the lake offers swimming, boating, skiing, scuba diving or just sitting by the lake and dozing off and on all day long.

Lake Ouachita State Park is a smaller section of the large lake. It offers cabins, campsites, a restaurant, marina, two boat ramps and interpretive exhibits at the springs. (Three Sisters Springs) One of the best events offered at the state park on Lake Ouachita is the eagle tours. From November first to March first you can take a tour of the area and spot the eagles wintering there. This is an awesome sight to see and is highly recommended!

In total, there are nine resorts scattered around the lake. These are: North Shores Resort in Jessieville, Spillway Resort in Mountain Pine, Brady Mountain Resort in Royal, Crystal Springs resort in Crystal Springs, Mountain Harbor Resort in Mount Ida, Lake Ouachita Shores Resort in Mount Ida, Shagri La Resort in Mount Ida, Highway 27 Fishing Village in Mount Ida, and Little Fir also in Mount Ida. All offer different types of rooms, it just depends on your wants or needs as to where you should stay. Brady Mountain and Mountain Harbor are probably the two largest and most popular of the nine resorts.

One of the newest features offered at the lake is the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail. This is a planned 47 mile long trail that will go mostly along the shoreline and over the mountains giving you scenic views of the lake. Right now, only 4.7 miles of the trail are open and ready for hiking or biking. It starts at Denby Bay and ends at Thompkins Bend. Sights along the planned trail include "Coon Tree Hotel" - an old tree that raccoons like to sleep in, old quartz pits and even the remains of an old moonshiner's still.

A word of caution if you plan on visiting Lake Ouachita: watch out for sudden storms. Being a large lake, storms pop up out of nowhere and are usually unexpected. They move very fast and can create microburst winds, waterspouts and severe lightning. Always be looking to the sky while camping out. Most of the time, the storms can be predicted by local weather stations, but not always. From my experience, these storms have popped up on us so fast, it's hard to find shelter. Your boat can really take a beating in one, too. Many get beached or flooded and sink. More than once I've had to bail water out of boats or dig them out of the beach after a storm. And you are not always safe in your camper or tent. Winds have been known to tear up tents and knock over campers and RV's. There is also the risk of trees and limbs falling. It can be a very frightening experience. Sometimes the safest places to be are the brick bathrooms. You won't be alone, though, when waiting out a storm. If one thing pulls everyone together, it's a storm. We've made a lot of friends that way - protecting each other and cleaning up after the storm!

An interesting creature also lives in the lake and can be seen in swarms from June to August. A freshwater jellyfish. But don't be afraid of this one, they don't sting. They are very small, only getting to be about the size of a quarter. They are bell-shaped, translucent with white or green tint. They are called "blooms" when in large numbers.

Finally, the COE offers what's called the Geo-Float Trail. This is a guide that you can pick up at Spillway or Brady Mountain and will take you on a tour of the lake that points out the unique geological formations. It is a sixteen mile trip with twelve exploration areas from Spillway to Brady. It takes about one and one half hours, depending on how much time you spend at each site. This trail gives the tourist a better understanding of the formation of the Ouachita Mountains. If you prefer, you can contact the COE and request that your group have a ranger guide your tour. You do have to provide the boat, though.

Hopefully I've given you an idea of what to expect if you visit Lake Ouachita. It's not perfect in many ways and does see it's fair share of conflict, but it is just a beautiful place to go and relax. If you do make a reservation at a campsite, please honor that reservation. You'd make the locals appreciate you more!