Wondering what to do with your tree now that Christmas is over? Let it sleep with the fishes!
The Missouri Department of Conservation is looking for families to
donate their used natural Christmas trees for new fish habitats in St.
Charles and in Creve Coeur Lake.
"A lot of lakes we work with are manmade, and there's not much fish
cover in them, so we have to figure out how to put fish habitat in those
lakes," says biologist Kevin Meneau. "Christmas trees are one of the
best ways to do that in winter."
Woody trees make
ideal habitats and food sources for smaller fish -- including bass,
bluegill, redear sunfish and crappie -- boosting the lake's entire food
chain.
"They also help young fish," Meneau says. "When adults spawn, their young can hide in those trees."
The conservation department submerges Christmas trees every year
after the holiday season, building what they adorably call "the aquatic
equivalent of an underwater condominium." The trees are tied to cement
blocks and submerged four to seven feet deep.
Before
you donate your tree, remove decorations, lights, garland and ornaments
before dropoff. The fish don't need your holiday spirit.
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