MAYFLOWER, Ark. — State officials continue to clean the drained Lake Conway.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) has been removing tons of trash from the lake while the water level is low.
They're mainly finding metal and tires and even some debris from tornadoes.
"It's our one chance in basically the lake's 75-year history to get at this trash and get it out," said Nick Feltz, Game and Fish district fisheries supervisor.
Feltz and others with Arkansas Game and Fish are going out on the lakebed to collect it before it's too late.
"Lakes are already starting to grow up with grass, so the sooner we get out here and clean up, the easier the cleanup will be," Feltz said.
The lake is about five feet below its average level, and Feltz said he expects it to come down about three more feet this summer.
They held a community cleanup event in April, but there's still a lot more trash to get to.
"We pulled off about 25 tons of trash," Feltz said. "I didn't get a tonnage of tires yet, but a mountain of tires, like five dumpsters full of tires."
Although he knows they won't be able to get to everything, he said having more volunteers could help them reach more areas.
"Public participation has been pretty, pretty low at all," Feltz said. "This is all AGFC staff."
In addition to picking up trash, Game and Fish is also working to improve the fish habitat in the lake.
"There is a general lack of complex, high-quality habitat in the lake," Feltz said. "That naturally happens in a 75-year-old reservoir. So making efforts to kind of replace what we've lost with brush piles and spawning beds for fish to reproduce in."
Even though there are still a few years left before they finish the renovation, he said it will make a big difference once it's done.
"The really key aspects of the project are building the new dam, improving angler, fishermen user access by doing the boat lanes, improving our boat launches and access areas, and then enhancing habitat," Feltz said.
Click here to volunteer and help with the Lake Conway cleanup on Friday or Saturday.
As an added incentive to reward volunteers who participate in the cleanup, the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation has donated two $100 gift cards to Academy Sports and Outdoors. These cards will be given away in a drawing for all cleanup participants who register online and check in with an AGFC group cleanup.