BRANSON, Mo. -- The Army Corps of Engineers' Little Rock District held a ribbon cutting ceremony April 27 for the new Dewey Short Visitor Center at Table Rock Lake near Branson.

The $10.8 million center, which is situated near the dam and the Corps’ project office, is one of a handful of regional Class A facilities in the Corps nationwide.  The 15,000-square-foot facility will have three functional areas: the visitor area, which will include exhibits, a 75-seat theater and a gift shop; the educational area, which will include a multi-purpose room and wet lab; and an administrative office area.

The engaging exhibits emphasize Table Rock dam, lake and powerhouse.  They depict how this project fits into the entire White River Basin.  There are fascinating interactive displays about the Ozark Mountain region and its unique culture and ecosystems.

More than 300 elementary school students from three Arkansas counties are expected to participate in activities at the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) commemorating the annual Earth Week observance later this month. This year, the events will actually be spaced over a two-week period, with third- and fourth-graders from Cabot, El Dorado, and the Pulaski County Special School District spending about two and a half hours at the ADEQ Headquarters Building in North Little Rock April 16, 17, 23, and 24.

ADEQ employees will conduct a variety of interactive presentations for the students, beginning at approximately 9:15 a.m. each day. The students also have the option of bringing their own lunches to eat at the patio area of the ADEQ office, and then hiking on the Arkansas River Trail, a portion of which is adjacent to the building.