By Waymon Cox

 

 

  Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park!  Recently, we reached another milestone in the improvement of visitor experience with the completion of this year’s trenching project.  Walker Sand and Gravel, a Lockesburg company that has worked with the park in previous years, returned once again to conduct the 2010 project.  The new trench, named the East Drain, extends southward down the east side of the diamond search area from the central path.

 

  Past visitors to the Crater of Diamonds might know that this is not the first time the park has had an East Drain.  Maintenance supervisor Larry McKinnon notes that the new East Drain is located about 100 feet west of the old East Drain and has been extended closer to the central pathway for easier access by visitors.

 

  Using a high track bulldozer, Walker removed about five feet of material from the new area to form the East Drain.  The excavated dirt was used to backfill the old East Drain to make this part of the search area more accessible to visitors.

 

  According to McKinnon, “What’s really neat is that the dirt they removed from the bottom of the new East Drain is now on top of the old East Drain.” This may benefit surface searching in the area, as heavy gravel that was five feet underground is now on top of the search area where erosion will remove soil and may expose diamonds!

 

  The East Drain will serve as a funnel for water erosion that will hopefully foster diamond finds for years to come!  As water washes through the search area, it leaves behind pockets of gravel in low spots.  We teach visitors to dig for this heavy gravel in areas like the East Drain to have a better chance of finding diamonds!

 

  Even after only a few days, the East Drain is already proving to be a successful spot for diamond finds.  15 diamonds were registered at the park last weekend, and many were found in this new area, including a beautiful 88 pt. yellow gem!

 

  Since 2005, Crater of Diamonds State Park has completed annual trenching projects each late summer/early fall.  In 2009, Walker Sand and Gravel excavated the park’s West Drain, during which contractor Royce Walker found his own 2.93 ct. brown diamond on the east side of the search area.

 

  The new East Drain also passes near the area where, in 1990, Murfreesboro resident and diamond miner Shirley Strawn discovered the 3.03 ct. white Strawn-Wagner Diamond that was later cut and graded as a perfect diamond.  Perhaps the next famous Crater diamond will be found nearby!

 

  Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only area in the United States that allows the public to search for diamonds and keep any they find.  The park remains open year-round, seven days a week, closing only on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.  Park interpreters regularly demonstrate diamond mining techniques and offer other special interest programs for visitors.  For more information, contact the park at 870-285-3113 or by e-mail at CraterofDiamonds@arkansas.com.  Or visit www.CraterofDiamondsStatePark.com.

 

Search area last plowed:  September 24, 2010

 

Most recent significant rain:  October 24, 2010

 

Diamond finds for October 17-23, 2010 (100 points = 1carat):

 

October 17 - Mike Ellison, Kings Mountain, NC, 12 pt. white

 

October 19 - Tony Bruss, Sterling Heights, MI, 7 pt. white

 

October 20 - Tony Bruss, Sterling Heights, MI, 6 pt. white

 

October 21 - Tony Bruss, Sterling Heights, MI, 17 pt. white; Mike Ellison, Kings Mountain, NC, 13 pt. white, 13 pt. white; Tom Suboski, Stephenson, MI, 64 pt. yellow

 

October 22 - Al & Ella Bell, Murfreesboro, AR, 6 pt. white

 

October 23 - Hoylye Antala, Omaha, NE, 7 pt. brown; Tom Suboski, Stephenson, MI, 13 pt. white; Tim Pittman, Jacksonville, AR, 6 pt. white, 88 pt. yellow