The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers at the West Point Project will accept real Christmas trees, not artificial trees, for recycling Dec. 26, 2018 through Jan. 12, 2019.

These donated trees will be used to create brush piles in the lake to improve fish habitat. The trees may be dropped off in the parking lots of Yellowjacket Boat Ramp and Sunny Point Boat Ramp in Georgia and Rocky Point Boat Ramp in Alabama.

All decorations – tinsel, lights, garland, bulbs, etc. – must be removed from the trees before dropping donating. Please place the trees in the designated locations in the parking lots. Dumping of household trash at these sites is strictly prohibited.

Individuals who wish to place their own Christmas trees in the lake are reminded to avoid placing them in boating channels and to follow the guidelines below:

Do not place the trees where they could become safety hazards to boaters or swimmers. For example, trees should not be placed near boat launching ramps, in shallow boat traffic channels, or at swimming areas.

Use a suitable anchoring system to prevent the trees from floating away or moving around. A cement block will work well as an anchor for one or two trees, but it must be securely fastened to the tree using nylon twine or a similar material.

Trees will attract more fish if they are placed in deeper water and in an area where the water depth changes significantly, such as near an underwater ridge or hump. Fish tend to use this type of area throughout the year.

Although a permit is not necessary to place a few Christmas trees in the lake, anglers who wish to install large numbers of trees or other types of structure for fishing reefs should contact the West Point Project Management Office at (706) 645-2937.