Lake Dardanelle

Lake Dardanelle
Lake Dardanelle, looking northeast from State Highway 22 near Delaware in 2013.
Lake Dardanelle
Location	Arkansas
Coordinates	35°20′24″N 93°20′15″W / 35.34000°N 93.33750°W / 35.34000; -93.33750
Type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Arkansas River
Primary outflows	Arkansas River
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	50 miles (80 km)
Surface area	40,000 acres (160 km2)
Shore length1	315 mi (510 km)
Surface elevation	338 ft (103 m)
Settlements	Dardanelle, Arkansas
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Dardanelle is a major reservoir on the Arkansas River in Arkansas, USA. and is an integral part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS), which allows barge transportation from the Mississippi River to the Tulsa Port of Catoosa in northeastern Oklahoma. MKARNS went into service along its full length in 1971.

Lake Dardanelle, a reservoir on the Arkansas River, provides many recreational opportunities. The lake covers nearly 40,000 acres (160 km²) with abundant opportunities for boating, fishing, picnicking, camping and scenic views. The lake extends from Dardanelle Lock and Dam (35°14′57″N 93°10′14″W / 35.24917°N 93.17056°W / 35.24917; -93.17056 (Dardanelle Lock and Dam)) near Dardanelle, into Pope, Yell, Logan, Johnson and Franklin Counties. The lake reaches 50 mi (80 km) upstream the Arkansas River and has 315 mi (510 km) of shoreline. Each recreational park on Dardanelle has drinking water, picnic tables and toilet facilities. Most have trailer dump stations, boat launch ramps and electrical sites.^[1]

The only nuclear power plant in Arkansas, Arkansas Nuclear One, is located on the northeastern shore of Lake Dardanelle.^[2]

Mount Nebo (Arkansas) is close to the area and provides scenic views for visitors along the lake. The Ozark and Ouachita Mountains also offer great scenery and have mountain springs and recreation parks in abundance. The mountains of the Ozarks and Ouachitas are abundant in wildlife. The bald eagle often uses this area for wintering. Eagles can be seen here from late fall to early spring.

Lake Dardanelle State Park is located on two sites, one in Russellville and the other, across the lake to the south, near Dardanelle. The Russellville park includes a visitor center with aquariums and natural and cultural history displays, a fishing pier, and a fishing tournament weigh-in pavilion that is used for the many fishing tournaments held on the lake. Both sites offer campsites, boat launch ramps, standard pavilions, picnic sites, playgrounds and bathhouses.

• List of Arkansas dams and reservoirs

• Lake Dardanelle - official site at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers