Lake Hamilton is a 7,200-acre (2,900 ha) reservoir near Lake Hamilton, Arkansas and Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is located on the Ouachita River, one of Arkansas's most popular rivers. It is formed from Carpenter Dam which was named after Flavius Josephus Carpenter. Along with Lake Catherine and Lake Ouachita, it is one of the lakes that helps make Hot Springs a boon for tourism. The lake was created in 1932, mainly to generate hydroelectricity, but now it also serves as a recreational getaway. Much of the lake is surrounded with resorts, restaurants, and motels. Parasailing, boating, fishing, and waterskiing are popular on Lake Hamilton, and the rest of the lakes around Hot Springs. A 400 passenger riverboat called the Belle of Hot Springs offers cruises on Lake Hamilton. Garvan Woodland Gardens, a 210-acre (85 ha) botanical park is also accessible by boat.
On May 2, 1999, an accident involving the tourist boats on Lake Hamilton resulted in the deaths of thirteen persons. Former State Senator Jim Keet, the 2010 Republican gubernatorial nominee, was boating with his family at the time of the tragedy. Ironically, four years earlier, Senator Keet had co-sponsored a bill that added several new water safety rules to the Arkansas code, including the requirement that children wear life preservers on most boats. However, the provision did not apply to duck boats, the kind involved in the tragedy, which sank with barely thirty seconds of warning.
Read more about this topic: Lake Hamilton And Lake Catherine
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