The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will host a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. CT on Monday, Nov. 2, at the Mayflower High School cafeteria to outline the next steps in the five-year renovation of Lake Conway, AGFC officials announced.
What the meeting will cover
Nick Feltz, AGFC fisheries supervisor at the Mayflower field office, will present an update on progress to date and explain plans for the project’s final stages. Commission staff said construction of a new spillway and auxiliary gates began last October and that major construction details are now wrapping up.
“We’re well past the original deadline for landowners to complete repairs on their boathouses and shorelines, but we want to advise landowners to wrap up any remaining work soon,” Feltz said.
Feltz also addressed vegetation that has grown in the drained lakebed during renovation work. AGFC staff said crews have treated and removed vegetation in key areas and expect most smaller plants to die and decompose once water returns, which the agency says will help early productivity for baitfish and other forage.
“We’ve bush-hogged the boat lanes and sprayed some of the willow that’s popped up,” Feltz said. “All the smaller vegetation will die and decompose, which will give baitfish and other forage a place to grow before stocking of game fish begins. Really, the only trees we expect to survive will be some of the cypress that have sprouted, and we want to keep those around.”
Who should attend
Landowners along the lake, local anglers and other residents are encouraged to attend. Registration is not required, the commission said, and staff plan to answer questions about the timeline and remaining tasks.
- When: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. CT, Nov. 2
- Where: Mayflower High School cafeteria
- Who: Nick Feltz, AGFC fisheries supervisor, and commission staff
The AGFC directs those seeking more detailed documents or a full project timeline to the agency’s Lake Conway project page at www.agfc.com/lakeconway, where the commission posts status updates and components of the renovation as they are completed.
The meeting follows three years of work on a renovation originally planned to take five years. Commission officials said construction on the new spillway and auxiliary gates began last October and that while many aspects remain, the project is entering its final phases, prompting the public briefing for nearby property owners.
