MAYFLOWER, Ark. — If you've been out by Lake Conway recently, you've probably noticed how much lower the water is since the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) started its draining project in September.
Now, people are venturing out where the water used to be and collecting washed-up items.
As the water gets lower on Lake Conway, it's getting easier to see what's been sitting on the bottom. For the first time, Game and Fish is allowing those with a permit to come and hunt for treasure.
"It's a unique project," Arkansas Game and Fish Chief of Communications Trey Reid said. "We've never done anything quite this big. We've done other lake renovations [but] they've been smaller."
Reid said they created a treasure hunting permit because of how many Arkansans expressed interest in it.
There's a Facebook group with more than 4,000 members interested in the hunt.
"I think part of it is because of Conway's proximity, Lake Conway's proximity to Little Rock and Conway's big population center here in Central Arkansas," Reid said.
The 75-year-old lake is in the beginning stages of a five-year renovation project where crews are slowly draining it.
Dustin Wear lives on the lake and hopes the project goes by fast.
"It's not going to be a lake for five years. It's going to be a big hole," Wear said. "It's going to be a big mud hole for that matter."
In the meantime, Wear plans to get his treasure-hunting permit so he can start his search.
"I absolutely plan to," Wear said. "Living on the lake, being on the lake body you have to."
Although he might find some neat things, Wear still has a lot of questions about what he's actually allowed to collect.
"Should I have a permit to remove trash? Should I have a permit to remove debris?" Wear said. "I don't know. It's a wide-open spectrum of things to go into."
Reid said some of the prohibited items include archeological artifacts, vegetation, dirt and rocks.
"Pretty much most other things, you can go look for them," Reid said. "You can keep them."
Wear is excited about the possibility of finding something fascinating.
"Someone's trash is another man's treasure," Wear said.
According to the AGFC, people must carry a permit at all times, and treasure hunting is only allowed between sunrise and sunset.
You can find more details here.