NORFORK, Ark. — Fishermen say they're concerned that warm water released from Norfork Dam will threaten trout that live in the river below.
The dam serves as a barrier between Norfork Lake, where surface water has reached the upper 80s in temperature, and the North Fork River. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Little Rock said about 200 cubic feet of warm water is being released per second from the lake due to a leak at the dam.
A Corps representative told The Baxter Bulletin that a contractor had removed side seals on the dam's tainter gate for rehab work. The contractor had to stop its work due to rising lake levels earlier this summer, but is expected to return by the end of this month.