Christmas Trees for Fish Habitat

Collecting recycled Christmas trees for fish habitat. Credit VA State Parks

Make a fish happy in 2018! Dispose of your Christmas tree for fish habitat!

The North Clackamas Urban Watersheds Council and the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation Department are collecting recycled Christmas trees to place in the Willamette River at Map of Spring Park in Milwaukie to improve fish habitat.

Details

Become involved by recycling your Christmas tree on January 6, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The drop-off location is the McLoughlin Plaza at 16240 SE McLoughlin Blvd. in Oak Grove.

The recycle fee will be $10. Only clean trees with no flocking will be accepted.

How do trees improve habitat?

Campbell Adam, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

photo by Campbell Adam, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Because juvenile fish are at risk of being eaten by larger fish, they need places to hide. To provide these hiding places, the Christmas trees are sunk in strategic locations.

As a result, young fish survive and are able to grow to a size that makes them less apt to be eaten by larger fish!

Consequently, the more juvenile fish that survive increases the number of adult fish able to spawn and build the fish population.

It also means better fishing for those Oregonians who enjoy the sport!

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Clackamas SWCD