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Xmas Trees Make Fish Habitat02-15-07 | News

Xmas Trees Make Fish Habitat

The fish in Pine Flat reservoir in Fresno, Calif. will be having a late Christmas this year, as up to 4000 discarded Christmas trees will be recycled underwater to form a habitat for them. The City of Fresno has partnered with the American Corps of Engineers in this unique environmentally-friendly program. City garbage collectors trucked hundreds of the discarded trees to the site this week, which is managed by Corps. The trees will be submerged after water levels rise in the spring.

The manmade lake has become known for fishing competitions though it was originally cleared for boating and has few underwater habitats for the fish now living there. The species include spotted bass, mouth bass, crappie and catfish. The trees will be protective for baby fish by providing places to hide, which promotes an ecosystem for both foragers and predators.

The trees were collected at multi-family complexes where customers were asked to clear their tree of all ornaments, lights, and tinsel and cut them down to three-foot lengths. Other organizations that aided the project include the Kings River Conservation Project, the Kings River Water Association, the Kings River Fisheries Management Program, the California Department of Fish and Game, and Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Source: North County Times