Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine

Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine are a pair of man-made lakes around Hot Springs, Arkansas. The two lakes have greatly improved the tourism in Hot Springs. Both Lakes were created by Arkansas Power & Light (now a subsidiary of Entergy).

Lake Hamilton
Lake Hamilton
LocationGarland County, Arkansas,
United States
Coordinates34.4325°N 93.0887°W / 34.4325; -93.0887
Typereservoir
Primary inflowsOuachita River
Primary outflowsOuachita River
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area7,200 acres (2,900 ha)

Lake Hamilton

Lake Hamilton is a 7,200-acre (2,900 ha) reservoir near Lake Hamilton, Arkansas and Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is located on the Ouachita River, one of Arkansas's most popular rivers. It is formed from Carpenter Dam which was named after Flavius Josephus Carpenter. The dam is over 1,000 feet (300 m) long and 100 feet (30 m) high, and has a hydroelectric power generation facility and completed in 1931. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.[1]

Along with Lake Catherine and Lake Ouachita, Lake Hamilton is one of the lakes that helps make Hot Springs a boon for tourism. The lake was created in 1932, mainly to generate hydroelectricity, but now it also serves as a recreational getaway. Much of the lake is surrounded with resorts, restaurants, and motels. Parasailing, boating, fishing, and waterskiing are popular on Lake Hamilton, and the rest of the lakes around Hot Springs. A 400-passenger riverboat called the Belle of Hot Springs offers cruises on Lake Hamilton. Garvan Woodland Gardens, a 210-acre (85 ha) botanical park is also accessible by boat.

Lake Hamilton was named after Hamilton Moses, who later became president and chairman of the board for Arkansas Power and Light.[2][3]

On May 1, 1999, an accident involving the tourist boats on Lake Hamilton resulted in the deaths of thirteen persons. Former State Senator Jim Keet, the 2010 Republican gubernatorial nominee, was boating with his family at the time of the tragedy. Four years earlier, Senator Keet had co-sponsored a bill that added several new water safety rules to the Arkansas code, including the requirement that children wear life preservers on most boats. However, the provision did not apply to DUKW ("duck") boats, the kind involved in the tragedy, which sank with barely thirty seconds of warning.[4]

  • Lake Hamilton viewed from Garvan Woodland Gardens property.
  • Lake Hamilton
  • Lake Hamilton
  • Garvan Woodlands Gardens by Lake Hamilton
  • Garvan Woodlands Gardens by Lake Hamilton

Lake Catherine
Lake Catherine
Lake Catherine
LocationGarland / Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, United States
Coordinates34.4442°N 92.9134°W / 34.4442; -92.9134
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area1,940 acres (790 ha)

Lake Catherine is a small 1,940-acre (790 ha) lake near Hot Springs. Lake Catherine State Park is located on the lake's shore. The state park contains 18 cabins. Lake Catherine was created in the 1920s with the building of Remmel Dam, a concrete-and-steel Ambursen-type buttressed dam. Remmel Dam was created to provide hydroelectricity, but recreation came as a result of lake's location next to Hot Springs. Remmel Dam is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Regional map over Hot Springs
  • Lake Catherine

See also

References
  1. "NRHP nomination for Carpenter Dam" (PDF). Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  2. "Remmel, Catherine, Carpenter, and Hamilton: Who were they?".
  3. "Colter Hamilton (Ham) Moses (1888–1966)".
  4. ""12 dead in tourist boat accident at Hot Springs," May 2, 1999". Northwest Arkansas Times: rrbi.com. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
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