For those who wait until the after the Day of Epiphany to begin removing Christmas decorations, there is an alternative to curbing, burning or just leaning the tree up against the side of the house.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking old Christmas trees and turning them into fish habitats at Clarks Hill Lake.
“We find a good area with about 15 feet of water, tie the trees to cinderblocks and basically create apartment complex for fish, and they love it. The smaller fish have places to hide, which, of course, attracts the bigger fish looking for a meal,” said David Quebedeaux, park ranger for the Corps of Engineers.
As the trees decompose, it creates yet another ecosystem of creatures that live along the organic “litter” which provide an almost year-round feeding source for fish of all sizes.
To donate a tree, it must be cleaned of all decorations and tinsel. “Frosted” trees are not accepted.
Trees can be brought anytime to the Keg Creek Boat Ramp or the powerhouse below the Strom Thurmond Dam.
For anglers looking for the areas where the “fish apartments” are installed, the Corp has placed buoys marking the sites.
“Nope, we don’t keep those secret! All you have to do is look for the buoys,” Quebedeaux said.
