DeGray Lake exists because of a long wait. The Army Corps of Engineers dam, about eight miles northwest of Arkadelphia, was authorized in the 1950 Rivers and Harbors Act and had no money until 1961. The Caddo River was diverted through a 1,700-foot tunnel drilled between early 1964 and summer 1966. The gate closed on August 8, 1969, and the dam was dedicated on May 20, 1972 at a cost of about $64 million. The earthen dam is 3,400 feet long and 243 feet high, the largest of its kind in Arkansas.
The lake covers 13,400 acres. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas describes it as the first pump-back capable impoundment in the Corps's history, so water can be pumped back into the lake to be used again for power, and it supplies drinking water for Arkadelphia. The state leased a 938-acre park site from the Corps beginning May 1, 1972, and dedicated the park in April 1974.
The lodge has 90 rooms, and the conference center sits just offshore on an island. The park has an 18-hole golf course, a marina with pedal boats and party barges, 113 campsites, five hiking trails and the Islets Cove Paddle Trail. The marina is closed from November to February.
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