AGFC prepares final Lake Conway cleanup of summer

MAYFLOWER — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is planning one last organized public cleanup of Lake Conway’s shoreline before the summer heat sets in for good, and anyone interested in a cleaner Lake Conway is encouraged to join in the effort. Staging locations and dumpsters will be available June 13-15 at the following access points:

• Arkansas Highway 89 Bridge Access

• Paradise Road ArDOT Pull-off

• Lawrence Landing

• Caney Creek Access

So far, AGFC staff and volunteers have removed 36 tons of litter and roughly 20 tons of tires from the lakebed. AGFC Fisheries Supervisor Nick Feltz says that huge amount of trash has come from only 7 miles of the 50 or so miles of shoreline available on the lake.

“We’ve tried to focus our efforts on areas that were accessible and where the litter was most noticeable, and we’ve removed a lot of it, but there’s still a lot to go,” Feltz said. “Unfortunately, the heat of summer and the amount of vegetation growing now will make this our last organized cleanup attempt until cold weather sets in and we see some dieback from that vegetation.”

Feltz explained that overgrown vegetation has already hindered trash removal in a few areas of the lake during previous cleanups.

“In May, we really saw where areas that were overgrown were very time-consuming to pick through and get to the debris,” Feltz said. “We haven’t seen a ton of participation from the public in the first two cleanups, so we’d really like to see more people take a day to help clean up what we can.”

The city of Conway has volunteered to help offset the cost of the May and June cleanups by donating dumpsters, but the AGFC will still be paying for the dumping fees for all the trash and tires collected. Feltz reminds residents and other passersby that the dumpsters are reserved for debris collected from the lakebed and are not to be used for household garbage or construction waste.

“We had some misuse of the dumpsters during the April cleanup with some furniture and construction waste showing up, but the May cleanup was much better in that respect,” Feltz said.

Participants are highly encouraged to wear rubber boots and insect repellent while on the lakebed, and heavy leather gloves will help prevent any cuts when handling broken glass or metal.

As an added incentive to reward volunteers who participate in the cleanup, the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation has again donated two $100 gift cards to Academy Sports and Outdoors that will be given away in a drawing. Any participant who registers online and checks in with an AGFC group cleanup is eligible to win.

The Conway Chamber of Commerce also added a little cleanup contest to the mix. Anyone who posts cleanup pictures with the hashtag #NewLakeConway on social media will be entered into drawings for $50 gift cards to some of Conway’s favorite restaurants.

If you would like to participate, sign up at www.agfc.com/LakeConway to receive updates on cleanup locations. Any residents who need collection materials for independent cleanup efforts can contact Nick Feltz at Nicholas.Feltz@agfc.ar.gov.

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