The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) will host a public meeting at 7 p.m. January 27 in the Mayflower High School Cafeteria to provide landowners and anglers with an update on the ongoing Lake Conway renovation project.
Lake Conway is approaching the halfway point of its five-year renovation, which includes replacement of the lake’s aging dam and water-control structure, along with major habitat improvements designed to enhance long-term fishing quality.
AGFC fisheries staff have added gravel spawning beds throughout the lake and installed complex artificial cover in key areas of the lakebed during the drawdown. According to AGFC Fisheries Supervisor Nick Feltz, natural vegetation growth over the past two years has also created valuable new fish habitat.
“Mother Nature kicked into high gear over the last two years with loads of vegetation and brush growing in the lakebed,” Feltz said. “When the lake refills, this vegetation will add nutrients to the water and boost the food chain, increasing growth for predatory fish like bass and crappie.”
Feltz added that soil consolidation has improved lake depth in many areas, with as much as six inches of silt settling in some sections — the equivalent of thousands of dump truck loads of sediment removed naturally.
Two of the most significant accomplishments this past year include the start of dam construction and the clearing of more than 29 miles of boat lanes through heavily stumped areas of the lake.
AGFC staff will also discuss plans to expand gravel spawning areas for lakeside property owners, distribute additional concrete spawning disks for bream and bass habitat, and schedule upcoming habitat-building workdays that will allow the public to participate directly in restoration efforts.
The meeting is open to the public, and anyone interested in the future of Lake Conway is encouraged to attend.
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