The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) have begun work on a variety of new additions to the Lake Conway Renovation Project, only one month after mulching 28 miles of boat lanes.

According to newlakeconway.com, “The first objective for the Lake Conway renovation is infrastructure modernization. This includes total replacement of the original dam and spillway, which were constructed in 1948. This comprehensive overhaul aims to restore the lake’s life cycle.”

“We have hired the bid contractor to execute the work on the dam and the water control structure,” AGFC director Doug Schoenrock said. “There’s two parts to that. One is going to be the current spillway, which is going to be a fixed height spillway, so when the water gets up so high and water will spill over it. And then there will be a water control structure itself, which is a gated structure, which is basically a pipe under the dam. It already exists on the dam right now, but it’s being replaced. And that will give us more readily available capabilities to drop it in an emergency situation or for further repairs or anything that we would need to do, and so that that dam work will begin. It [construction] will begin in the month of October.”

The dam will also feature a new bridge and bank fishing access.

According to newlakeconway.com, “The compaction resulting from the drying out of the lake bed is estimated to add an additional 1.5 to 2.5 feet of depth to the lake. This increase in depth will significantly expand the amount of fishable and productive water by hundreds of acres.”

One of the AGFC’s current objectives is creating man-made habitats.

“Additional enhancements such as pea gravel spawning beds, stake beds, and the planting of more cypress trees will further enhance the habitat and contribute to the overall well-being of fish and wildlife in the area,” according to newlakeconway.com.

“We already executed some of those,” Schoenrock said. “So we have nesting … basically a concrete tray. It’s probably four to six inches deep. They’re probably 36 to 40 inches in diameter. And we’re giving those to landowners who have property adjacent or on the lake, and those are filled with gravel, which creates a natural stream bed habitat for spawning … And then we’ve also been creating some deeper water habitats … it holds fish, will be better in the winter time, and some of the more reclusive species enjoy that deeper habitat … we’re also allowing any landowners that have property on the lake right now to while the water’s down, there’s no better time to clean up the shoreline than it is right now.”

Fishing structures are planned to increase from 350 habitats to 3,350.

Aside from work on the actual lake and its wildlife, Schoenrock said that the AGFC is currently working with the city of Conway on developing and expanding the north end of the lake with an urban natural area.

Schoenrock said, “We’re working very close with the Chamber of Commerce and Conway on a whole master plan for the lake, especially on the north side, which could be a really, really strong asset for the city.

“So the urban natural area is something that’s what we’re working on with the city of Conway … It’s strictly conceptual right now, but it would involve water trails, hiking trails, and there’s various phases,” Schoenrock said. “Over water walking trails near deep water pools for fishing access by hand, by foot, and kayak trails that would connect two different creeks on the north end of the lake. Kayak camping capabilities, cabin camping capabilities. There’s an amphitheater in the plan. There’s a lot of different unique things in the plan that are being proposed … With the population [of Conway] being a very outdoor focused population, [we’re] working with the city of Conway To help facilitate the conversations from a biological, scientific and habitat standpoint,” he said.

“The lake Conway project was a five year project. We’re absolutely on schedule to have this thing finished within five years, if not before, and probably under budget. Looks like it’ll be under budget now, but when that lake turns over into the new lake Conway, it’s going to be phenomenal. So fishing, the boat lanes, in and of themselves, are going to create a much safer environment,” Schoenrock said.

The project began on Sept. 1, 2023, and is expected to finish in 2028.