25 Years Later: A History of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System in Arkansas

In summer 1962, speaking about the Arkansas River project then under construction, Senator John L. McClellan said, Nothing the federal government has ever done or could ever do will be as big a boon to our state as this. Arkansas Gazette, June 3, 1962, p. E3 The waterway was a boon-a gift, favor, or blessing-to Arkansas because of its potential to improve the economy of the state and the lives of its citizens. The following pages describe the condition of the Arkansas River and its effect on Arkansas, the process that led to legislative approval and funding of the waterway project, and the task of constructing the Arkansas River Navigation Project. They also discuss the operation of the waterway over the past 25 years, its impact on the environment, and its role as a recreational resource. Finally, this volume looks at the way in which the McClellan-Kerr System has promoted the economic development of Arkansas. My own belief is that Senator McClellan was right. The civil works project named for him and Senator Robert S. Kerr of Oklahoma has made, and continues to make, an important contribution to this state. I hope, however, that I have provided enough objective evidence so that readers may make up their own minds.