SAVANNAH, Ga. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Hartwell Lake Office is accepting natural, not artificial, Christmas trees for recycling beginning Dec. 26, 2022 and concluding Jan. 26, 2023.
All ornaments, lights and tinsel must be removed prior to dropping the trees off. Drop off locations are sites at Big Oaks and Poplar Springs boat ramps in Georgia and in South Carolina at Twin Lakes and Coneross Creek boat ramps. Additionally, Mount Lebanon Elementary School in Pendleton, S.C., is accepting trees Dec. 26, 2022 - Jan. 16, 2023.
Donated trees can be picked up by fishermen at any time for personal use. However, trees should be anchored in 8-12 feet of water, but not in the main lake channel or around private docks.
The recycled trees are used as fish attractors and insect habitat in Hartwell Lake. Trees are tied in bundles, weighted with concrete anchors, and submerged in various locations and marked with fish attractor buoys.
“Small trees and brush provide cover for fish and nursery areas for juvenile fish,” said Jess Fleming, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Natural Resources Specialist at Hartwell Lake. “In addition, they provide habitat for aquatic insects which serve as an essential food source during the early developmental stages of most fish species.”
For more information, contact the Hartwell Lake Operations Project Manager’s Office at 888-893-0678, or visit the website at Hartwell. For a list of fish attractor locations and GPS coordinates, check them out online at GPS Coordinates.
Release no. 22-033