Alligators have always been in Arkansas--The early settlers kind of cleaned them out until Game and Fish took control of placing them in Arkansas waterways. The turtle is their favorite food I understand and they get a lot of the trash fish also. At times they manage to get a deer swimming the river.
Lake Millwood is full of gators---Mud lake and McQuire Lake I know have many many of them. I watch them if they are nesting I stay away. Also Snake Creek in Lake Millwood has a few--I saw two large ones in there--probably close to 3/4 length of my alumium boat maybe 10-12 feet.