Students drop trees in river for fish habitats
Published 3:34 pm Thursday, January 31, 2013
Demopolis High School Students in the FFA club and agriculture department went out on the Tombigbee River on Thursday morning to create habitats for fish.
The students, with the aid of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alabama Power and the U.S. Coast Guard, bound old Christmas trees together and tied weights to them and dropped them out of boats. The trees will make habitats for fish such as crappie.
DHS students roll a bundle of Christmas trees off the boat into the water Thursday morning.
The trees were dropped in different sloughs along the river, including runaway two. These habitats can provide good spots for fishing once the fish inhabit the areas.
Anne Cross and Brandon Smith of the USACE helped organize the project. Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeff Wickizer, Petty Officer 3rd Class Charles Damp and Seaman Steven Swendson of the U.S. Coast Guard went out with the students Thursday as well, helping carry trees on their boat.
DHS students pull a tree off of Alabama Power's boat onto theirs so they can attach the weights and drop the tree into the river.
All of the trees were donated from people in Demopolis. Also partnering with DHS, the USACE, Alabama Power and the U.S. Coast Guard were the city of Demopolis, Tractor Supply and volunteers of Foscue Park.
