Post by Fly Guy on Oct 17, 2007 3:00:20 GMT -1
Found this article at: www.sam.usace.army.mil/weekly/2007/02-16.htm
Go to the link to see the pictures.
Around Mobile District
Corps, Georgia DNR and volunteers prepares fish habitat
Volunteers drop shoreline trees into the lake bed to create a fish attractor for bass, crappie and other game fish in Allatoona Lake before the late winter rains fill the lake. (Photo by Christopher Purvis)
Park Ranger Terrell Stoves succeeded in putting together a team of partners and volunteers to fell more than 300 trees to create fish habitat before the late winter and early spring rain refill Lake Allatoona.
For this first-time project to the Allatoona project, Stoves established a small team that brought together Jim Hakela, a fisheries biologist with Georgia Department of Natural Resources and four local volunteers – Mike Bucca, Bruce Miller, Ray Bowin and Matt Driver.
Bucca is a guide on the lake and volunteered as a team leader for this project. “Even thought this project will make fishing easier and may hurt my business a little, it’s still a worthwhile effort and will be great for the fishing on Allatoona,” he said.
Driver is active in Allatoona fishing tournaments and hosting charity events round the lake. He is not only working on this project to help his fishing in tournaments, but to help provide better fishing cover for everyday anglers.
Volunteer Matt Driver uses the chainsaw to angle cut the tree to prevent it from falling over and ripping the root ball out of the earth creating erosion problems. A Cartersville Daily Tribune photographer moves in for a close-in action shot. (Photo by Christopher Purvis)
The team members spent Feb. 8 selectively cutting unhealthy and dead trees from along the shoreline and placing them in the dry lake bed. These trees had exposed roots or other health problems that would cause them to dies and fall on their own.
This project kept the park ranger busy with identifying areas on the project for the fish attractors, selecting and marking trees. The energized volunteers quickly worked through the designated areas, keeping Stoves busy. “The volunteers are gung-ho and moving fast so we need more trees for them! We still have about 5 areas where we haven't completed marking, he said with a smile.
The trees were selected and cut to prevent shoreline erosion. We cut them in a way that will prevent the root ball from lifting and destroying the shoreline, said Stoves. “If these trees were not removed, they would eventually fall and take the soil around the root ball with them. This would create dents in the shoreline and potentially increase shoreline erosion.
Park Ranger Terrell Stoves sprays yellow paint to mark the trees for the volunteers to cut for the fish attractors on Allatoona Lake. (Photo by Jim Hakala)
The trees were selected and cut to prevent shoreline erosion. We cut them in a way that will prevent the root ball from lifting and destroying the shoreline, said Stoves. “If these trees were not removed, they would eventually fall and take the soil around the root ball with them. This would create dents in the shoreline and potentially increase shoreline erosion.
Allatoona Lake Park Ranger Terrell Stoves shows volunteers where to place anchor pins in the remaining tree stump. (Photo by Christopher Purvis)
The anchors are also inserted into the log and attached to the stump with a rope to keep the tree from floating off and becoming a navigation hazard. (Photo below by Matt Driver)
Looking at the dry lake bed it is difficult to imagine it becoming a fish habitat; however, February-March rains will refill the lake. “At summer level these trees will be anywhere from 1-20 feet deep. Most will be in about 10-15 feet of water,” said Stoves. “They will attract all species of game fish from bluegill and sunfish in the shallows, to crappie and bass in the middle, to catfish in the deeper waters."
The fish habitat will provide a safe haven for fish such as bass and crappie to hide, to feed and to spawn. It will provide anglers a new fish concentration location to reel in the big one.
Way to go guys!
Jeff
Go to the link to see the pictures.
Around Mobile District
Corps, Georgia DNR and volunteers prepares fish habitat
Volunteers drop shoreline trees into the lake bed to create a fish attractor for bass, crappie and other game fish in Allatoona Lake before the late winter rains fill the lake. (Photo by Christopher Purvis)
Park Ranger Terrell Stoves succeeded in putting together a team of partners and volunteers to fell more than 300 trees to create fish habitat before the late winter and early spring rain refill Lake Allatoona.
For this first-time project to the Allatoona project, Stoves established a small team that brought together Jim Hakela, a fisheries biologist with Georgia Department of Natural Resources and four local volunteers – Mike Bucca, Bruce Miller, Ray Bowin and Matt Driver.
Bucca is a guide on the lake and volunteered as a team leader for this project. “Even thought this project will make fishing easier and may hurt my business a little, it’s still a worthwhile effort and will be great for the fishing on Allatoona,” he said.
Driver is active in Allatoona fishing tournaments and hosting charity events round the lake. He is not only working on this project to help his fishing in tournaments, but to help provide better fishing cover for everyday anglers.
Volunteer Matt Driver uses the chainsaw to angle cut the tree to prevent it from falling over and ripping the root ball out of the earth creating erosion problems. A Cartersville Daily Tribune photographer moves in for a close-in action shot. (Photo by Christopher Purvis)
The team members spent Feb. 8 selectively cutting unhealthy and dead trees from along the shoreline and placing them in the dry lake bed. These trees had exposed roots or other health problems that would cause them to dies and fall on their own.
This project kept the park ranger busy with identifying areas on the project for the fish attractors, selecting and marking trees. The energized volunteers quickly worked through the designated areas, keeping Stoves busy. “The volunteers are gung-ho and moving fast so we need more trees for them! We still have about 5 areas where we haven't completed marking, he said with a smile.
The trees were selected and cut to prevent shoreline erosion. We cut them in a way that will prevent the root ball from lifting and destroying the shoreline, said Stoves. “If these trees were not removed, they would eventually fall and take the soil around the root ball with them. This would create dents in the shoreline and potentially increase shoreline erosion.
Park Ranger Terrell Stoves sprays yellow paint to mark the trees for the volunteers to cut for the fish attractors on Allatoona Lake. (Photo by Jim Hakala)
The trees were selected and cut to prevent shoreline erosion. We cut them in a way that will prevent the root ball from lifting and destroying the shoreline, said Stoves. “If these trees were not removed, they would eventually fall and take the soil around the root ball with them. This would create dents in the shoreline and potentially increase shoreline erosion.
Allatoona Lake Park Ranger Terrell Stoves shows volunteers where to place anchor pins in the remaining tree stump. (Photo by Christopher Purvis)
The anchors are also inserted into the log and attached to the stump with a rope to keep the tree from floating off and becoming a navigation hazard. (Photo below by Matt Driver)
Looking at the dry lake bed it is difficult to imagine it becoming a fish habitat; however, February-March rains will refill the lake. “At summer level these trees will be anywhere from 1-20 feet deep. Most will be in about 10-15 feet of water,” said Stoves. “They will attract all species of game fish from bluegill and sunfish in the shallows, to crappie and bass in the middle, to catfish in the deeper waters."
The fish habitat will provide a safe haven for fish such as bass and crappie to hide, to feed and to spawn. It will provide anglers a new fish concentration location to reel in the big one.
Way to go guys!
Jeff