Bull Shoals Dam construction was started in 1947 and was not completed until 1951 due to the delay of WWII with a total taxpayer cost of 76.4 million dollars.
The Bull Shoals Dam was dedicated by President Harry S. Truman on July 2. 1952. At that time, it was the fifth largest structure of that type in the U.S.. and the largest in Arkansas. The procedure used to attain the materials for the dam were nationally recognized as well. To gather the 2.1 million cubic yards of concrete needed, the dam builders built the second longest continuous conveyor belt in the world from Lee's Mountain Quarry to the dam site seven and one-half miles away. You can see an example of the conveyor belt at the James A. Gaston's Visitor Center at the dam.
The Dam has 8 generators that can generate 10 million gallons of water per minute. It spands 2,256 feet in length and is 220 feet wide at the base. It rises 263 feet above the river bed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains the hydroelectric dam. Southwestern Power Administration wholesales the power within a six state region including Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. About 800,000 megawatt hours of power is sold annually.
The site is currently a delight to the area residents as they drive across it daily and witness the beauty of the water, sunsets, sunrises, morning fog over the White River and wildlife around Bull Shoals Dam.