Central Ohioans can give their natural Christmas trees a second life at the bottom of Alum Creek Lake. From now until January 10, the Army Corps of Engineers is accepting donations and sinking them in the lake to create fish habitats.
Kara Wagner, a natural resource specialist at Alum Creek State Park, says the lake was man-made in the 1970s.
“Before that, the land here was just farmland, so there’s not a lot of habitat for fish in our lake,” Wagner says.
She hopes the trees will act as that habitat, so smaller fish can hide in branches and have a chance to thrive before predators eat them.
Beyond increasing biodiversity and improving water quality, Wagner says that fish can be a recreation boon.
“Bigger fish means happier fishermen,” Wagner says.
Christmas trees must be cleared of lights or other decorations. Donations can be dropped off at the Alum Creek State Park Visitors Center.
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