For two decades the Buffalo River became the subject of a heated conflict over the proper purpose of the river. Three groups of people were involved in the conflict. The first group fought to have two multi-purpose dams constructed on the Buffalo River through the United States Army Corps of Engineers. They were in favor of the dam construction because they believed the resulting reservoirs would help the area's economy by attracting tourists. The second group vehemently opposed the construction of dams on the Buffalo River. They pushed to have the river and the surrounding area placed under federal protection through the National Park Service. The group whose voices were rarely heard during the conflict belonged to the landowners who lived and farmed the land within the Buffalo River watershed. Although the Buffalo only flows through Newton, Searcy, and Marion counties before it empties into the White River in Baxter County, the participants of the conflict spanned statewide. The conflict would eventually become so heated that it drew nationwide attention. In 1972, the Buffalo River became America's first national river. The landowners were then forced to leave their homes. They lost land, which in some instances had been in their families for generations. Although much has been written about the fight over the Buffalo River, the stories of the landowners have remained largely untold. With the creation of the Buffalo National River, the communities and the culture that took a century to develop was forever lost.