JUSTIN COOK The Roanoke Times

John Copeland, a fisheries biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and volunteer Eddie Quesenberry drop Christmas trees in Claytor Lake.

JUSTIN COOK The Roanoke Times

David Collett, park manager for Claytor Lake State Park, drags a donated Christmas tree and concrete blocks to be dropped into the lake. The concrete blocks, donated by Chandler Concrete, are vital because they provide weight.

| Sarah Watson

sarah.watson@roanoke.com, 381-1771

On a frigid Wednesday morning, staff and volunteers gathered at the marina at Claytor Lake State Park to help create a thriving fish habitat.

For the fifth year, Claytor Lake staff adopted a project to accept area residents' Christmas trees. This year they received about 125 trees for use as fish habitats, said John Copeland, a fisheries biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, which partners with the Virginia Department of Conservation on the project.

About 30 staff members and volunteers worked together to bind trees to create artificial cover for the fish, park manager David Collett said.

"The purpose of the project is to provide cover and attract fish for catching at the marina," Copeland said.

The Christmas tree cover attracts baitfish and algae, which in turn attracts more desirable fish for fishermen to catch, Collett said.

The trees were placed in three locations, including directly off the picnic area, the gazebo and the cabins. Claytor Lake officials are trying to increase the size of these areas, Copeland said.

Anglers appreciate the availability and variety of fish at the lake, he said.

Last spring, Copeland sampled the fish in these areas using electro-shock equipment to bring the fish to the surface. Copeland found a considerable amount of black crappie, largemouth bass, bluegill and catfish.

"I was able to pull some nice fish from around the structure," Copeland said.

While creating a habitat for fish is important to the park, supplying anglers with enough fish is the ultimate goal of the project. Without these habitats, the fish are too expansive for effective fishing in the 4,500-acre lake.

"Friends of Claytor Lake endorses any activity that helps sustain Claytor Lake for future generations to enjoy," said Ron Powers, the group's president.

Friends of Claytor Lake provides food for the men working on the project to show their continued approval. The group supports the project because it sustains the ecosystem and fish populations in the area.

"A healthy ecosystem is most important for a sustainable future," Powers said.

This project is repeated annually because the habitats do disintegrate over time, Collett said.

Staff and volunteers create the structure by drilling a hole into the trunk of the tree and placing the trunk within a concrete block. Then, they take the rope and weave it through the block and the tree, securing the two together.

The concrete blocks, donated by Chandler Concrete, are vital because they provide weight.

After the structures are assembled, they are placed on a boat and installed at the predetermined locations. The structures are traditionally placed between 12 and 21 feet deep.

In December 2001, Copeland and staff began installing several types of fish habitats underwater, many of them in deep water.

The Christmas tree project did not fully develop until 2005. Other state parks place similar artificial fish habitats in their waters.

The Christmas tree project is part of a larger effort to establish habitat management projects. All projects must be coordinated with the park and cannot be done on an individual basis.

Claytor Lake staff must clear all habitat projects with Appalachian Power Co. because the company has control of the reservoir and navigational buoys. Also, the park must obtain a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, because it controls sediment disturbance at the lake.