Construction of Narrows dam to form Lake Greeson began in April
1947, the first bucket of concrete was poured in June 1948. The dam was
finished in 1950, and dedicated on July 1951.
Narrows Dam is a gravity dam. The core is
concrete. The foundation is rock. Maximum discharge is 42300
cubic feet per second. Its capacity is 600,600 acre feet. Normal storage is
279,700 acre feet. It drains an area of 237 square miles.
Narrows dam is 941 feet long with a height of 183.5
feet. The Dam impounds the waters of the Little Missouri
River to form 7,000-acre Lake Greeson, a prime recreational Lake in
southwest Arkansas.
Narrows Dam on Lake Greeson is located 6 miles north of Murfreesboro,
Arkansas. Narrows Dam was authorized as a flood control and hydroelectric power project
by the Flood Control Act of 1941. The dam is a feature of the comprehensive
plan for the Ouachita River Basin. Lake Greeson is operated for
hydroelectric power, recreation, and flood control. The dam is named due to
its location on the river, The Narrows of the Little Missouri River. During
the dam's construction many cemeteries and graveyards had to be removed due
to the creation of the new lake.
The powerhouse of the dam is located adjacent to the east abutment, and it
has a total length of 151 feet. The equipment of the powerhouse is three
8,500 KWh generating machines. The powerhouse originally had two generators,
but a third was placed in 1969. The average annual output is 28,000,000 KWh.
Swaha, or Narrows Dam recreational area is located by
the Narrows Dam.
Mike Ross, U.S. Representative from Arkansas's 4th Congressional District has successfully
secured $4,505,000 for Narrows Dam at Lake Greeson in the Fiscal Year 2010
House Energy & Water Appropriations Bill. The bill passed the full U.S.
House of Representatives July 16.
Ross said the funds will be used to continue maintenance and operations at
Narrows Dam at Lake Greeson in Pike County.
“Narrows Dam is vital to the economic well-being of numerous communities and
businesses throughout Pike County and southwestern Arkansas," Ross said. “I
was proud to secure this investment because we must develop the necessary
water resources and flood protections that will encourage and sustain
economic growth in our state.”
Ross pledged his support to continue fighting for these important
infrastructure dollars as they move through the appropriations process.
Upon passage of the Energy & Water Appropriations Bill in the Senate, the
measure will then go to a Conference Committee of House and Senate members
who will work to combine both Chambers’ bills to form a Conference Report.
Upon passage of the Conference Report by the full House and Senate, the
final bill will then be sent to the President to be signed into law.