Major projects happening at the diamond mine

By Margi Jenks

The Crater of Diamonds State Park has two major projects happening in September.  Last week heavy construction equipment worked for 4 days out on the diamond search field.  They accomplished 3 major changes.  First, they worked on the north end of field.  We lowered the ridge between the north field and the rest of the field by 6 feet.  This change will help with erosion problems on both sides of the ridge.  Some of the ridge material was moved to the walking path that connects the end of the sidewalk from the Diamond Discovery Center, to the north washing pavilion.

 

 

 

Building up the walking path from the end of the sidewalk to the north washing pavilion was the second phase of the field project.  Every winter and spring we have enough rain to turn the low spots in that path to large mudholes with deep mud.  This problem has made it difficult for our visitors, especially the elderly, disabled, and small children, to reach the washing pavilion.  The new path is the same level at both ends, much wider, and is built to drain the water off and through a culvert. 

The last field project moved the east drain even farther west than the spot we moved it two years ago.  The path culvert will now drain directly into the east drain.  We hope that the new location will also be helpful to visitors who dig deep holes in the area of the east drain.

The second major project is a complete reconstruction and paving of our main visitor center and waterpark parking area.  This parking lot has been added onto over and over as our visitor numbers have grown. It is past time to re-engineer the entire lot, so it works together.   We also want to improve the traffic pattern to make it easier for RV’s and school busses to get across the main parking lot to our overflow parking area. The construction phase has already begun, and we hope to have it paved by the middle of October.

So, please excuse our dust and noise, progress is being made.

Fall Festival: Beginning at 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 13th, Crater of Diamonds State Park will be hosting a family-friendly Fall Festival!  The cost is just $3 per person, which pays for a wrist ticket that is used for admission to games, entertainment, and an evening hayride.  Attractions will include local crafts, food, an 18’ inflatable slide, obstacle course, bungee run, hoops challenge, dunking booth, and more!  For more information, contact Crater of Diamonds State Park at 870-285-3113!  Call for entertainers:  We are currently seeking local bands or other entertainers to headline during the Crater of Diamonds Fall Festival!  If you would like to perform at this event, call us at 870-285-3113 to schedule a time and discuss terms.

Search area last plowed:  September 12, 2012; Most recent significant rainstorms: September 6 and 15, 2012

Total diamonds found in 2012: 383

Diamonds registered for September 9 - September 15, 2012 (100 points = 1 carat): 

September 9 & 10 - No diamonds were registered

September 11 - Kenneth Shoemaker, Murfreesboro, AR, 13 pt. white

September 12 - David Anderson, Murfreesboro, AR, 2 pt. white, 2 pt. white, 3 pt. white, 9 pt. white

September 13 - No diamonds were registered

September 14 - Crystal Hamlet, Tampa, FL, 14 pt. white; David Hamlet III, Tampa, FL, 17 pt. brown; David Hamlet, Jr., Tampa, FL, 12 pt. white, 39 pt. brown, 71 pt. brown

September 15 - David Anderson, Murfreesboro, AR, 9 pt. white, 12 pt. white; Jean DeSpain, Crestview, FL, 9 pt. white