Ironton District works with partners to improve fishing

Recycled Christmas trees used to improve aquatic habitat on the Wayne National Forest.

Wayne National Forest biologists have teamed up with partners once again to improve fishing opportunities on the Ironton District. This winter, biologists worked with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the Lawrence County Solid Waste District and the Ashland Federal Prison Inmate Crew to collect and bundle discarded Christmas trees. The Lawrence County Solid Waste district collected Christmas trees from drop-off points throughout the county during the month of January. The trees were brought to Timbre Ridge Lake, where they were tied into bundles and weighted with cinder blocks by natural resource Technician, Eddie Park, with help from the Ashland Federal Prison Camp Inmate Crew. These bundles were then placed in Timbre Ridge Lake on February 26th to improve fish habitat and fishing opportunities for local sportsmen. The Ohio Division of Wildlife provided two boats and four people to ferry the tree bundles to the drop sites located around the lake. Approximately 200 recycled Christmas trees were submerged in the lake, improving habitat for bass, bluegill, and a variety of other species that will use the tree reefs for hiding, resting, feeding and spawning. Biologists are planning to spend another day at Timbre Ridge Lake with Ohio Division of Wildlife fisheries managers, dropping shoreline trees to further improve fish habitat and fishing opportunities around the lake.

Biologists on the Ironton district have also been working to improve fishing in several ponds in the Hanging Rock Recreation Area. These ponds were created during mining activities that occurred prior to Forest Service acquisition. Because of their construction and the surrounding landscape, many of these ponds have little natural woody structure. Biologists have been adding woody structure to the ponds by dropping shoreline trees into the ponds using a chainsaw. Trees for felling were chosen by a biologist, and included only live trees of common species, such as sycamore, silver maple and white and shortleaf pine. We expect these trees to be popular hangouts for both fish and the many fishermen who enjoy the Hanging Rock ponds.