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Vicksburg District Constructs Interpretive Visitor Center, Field Office at DeGray Lake

Published Oct. 8, 2019

VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District began construction in late
August 2019 on a site for a new interpretive visitor center and field office at DeGray Lake near Arkadelphia,
Arkansas.

Plans for the site, which is located at the Lakeview Area on the southeast section of the lake, include: 1) a building
that will house a visitor center and field office, 2) a scenic overlook structure that will provide visitors with a view of
DeGray Lake and 3) additional modern day-use facilities, including picnic areas.

The visitor center’s shared location with the field office will provide the necessary staffing to keep the Lakeview
Area open to the public for year-round use and access. The Lakeview Area site is currently one of 11 recreation sites
at DeGray Lake that are closed for approximately four to five months a year due to seasonal restrictions.

Additionally, the location of the visitor center and field office near Highway 7 will provide easy access to the public;
enhance the ability of USACE employees working from the field office to monitor DeGray Dam and the dam’s
intake structure; and provide responders with quicker access to visitors at some of the busiest beaches on the lake in
case of an emergency.

The interpretive visitor center will house displays depicting local flora and fauna of Clark County and will provide
the public with an opportunity to become more familiar with the DeGray Lake project. The new field office will
eventually replace the current DeGray Lake field office, which was constructed in the 1960s and has outdated
facilities. The DeGray Lake field office is the last Vicksburg District field office to be relocated to a new building.
Existing roads and utilities at the Lakeview Area will provide for more cost-effective and efficient construction.

Located on the Caddo River in Arkansas, DeGray Lake is a multi-purpose reservoir with flood control, hydropower,
water supply, environmental and recreational functions. The 32,200-acre project spans Clark County and Hot
Springs County, Arkansas.

The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas and
Louisiana that holds seven major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline levees. The
district is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.

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Contact
Reagan Lauritzen
601-631-5053
reagan.b.lauritzen@usace.army.mil

Release no. 19-029