Bull Shoals Lake
Bull Shoals Lake is an artificial lake or reservoir in the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas and southern Missouri, United States. It has hundreds of miles of lake arms and coves, and common activities include boating, water sports, swimming, and fishing. Nineteen developed parks around the shoreline provide campgrounds, boat launches, swim areas, and marinas.
History
was created to impound the White River by one of the largest concrete dams in the United States and was the fifth largest dam in the world at its inception. Work on the dam began in 1947, was completed in 1951 and dedicated by President Harry S. Truman in 1952. At least seven small family cemeteries and 20 larger cemeteries were meticulously relocated to accommodate the new lake.Recent national events include Brostock 2010 and 2011 and the TBF Bass Federation and Bassmaster Elite Series Tournaments in 2012.
Hydrology
Bull Shoals Lake impounds the White River for the last time as water travels toward its mouth on the Mississippi River. Bull Shoals is thus the lake farthest downstream in a chain of four artificial lakes that include Beaver Lake, Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo. The lake is controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers and has the primary purpose of flood control. The level of the lake fluctuates regularly with a normal pool level elevation of above sea level, which is locally known as powerpool. However, the lake regularly fluctuates between an elevation of. The upper part of the lake, below nearby Powersite Dam, is known as the "Pothole".The shoreline of the lake is undeveloped and protected by a buffer zone owned, operated, managed, and controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers. The dam is designed for a maximum elevation of . Bull Shoals Lake covers with a shoreline at powerpool to more than with a shoreline at. The bottom of the lake consists of bedrock with very limited vegetation. The shoreline is heavily forested.