Greers Ferry Dam was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Little Red River between 1959 and 1962, under the Flood Control Act of 1938, which authorized dams in the White River basin. It stands 243 feet above the streambed and is 1,704 feet long, about three miles north of Heber Springs, and it cost about $46.5 million. The lake behind it covers 30,000 to 40,000 acres, depending on water level, with more than 340 miles of shoreline.
The reservoir drowned the communities of Miller, Higden, Shiloh and Edgemont. On October 3, 1963, President John F. Kennedy dedicated the dam, one of his last major public appearances before his assassination on November 22. President Bill Clinton spoke from the same podium at the dam's 50th anniversary in 2013. A bust of Kennedy stands at the JFK Overlook, near where the dedication took place.
The William Carl Garner Visitor Center, at 700 Heber Springs Road North in Heber Springs, is named for the resident engineer who ran the dam's operation and maintenance. Its exhibits run from prehistoric times through the events that led to the dam and the history of the lake and powerplant, and the center is wheelchair accessible. Below the dam, the Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery, run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, raises mainly rainbow trout. Call 501-362-9067 for visitor center hours.
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