Unwanted trees provide habitats for fish

Volunteers drive boats into various locations at Lake Fort Scott Friday morning as they sink trees to help promote a healthy fish habitat in the lake. The trees were given to the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism by the Kansas Department of Transportation who had cut them down from the easements along sections of U.S. Highways 54 and 69. (Michael Pommier/Tribune)

Friday morning a host of fisherman and wildlife lovers banded together to help out the fish habitats at Lake Fort Scott. Leading the charge was Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism District Biologist Don George.

Through the help of volunteers, sturdy wire and some cement weights, old trees were sank into Lake Fort Scott with the goal of providing a means of improving the habitat for the fish. George said the roughly 6-foot trees came from the Kansas Department of Transportation who had cut them down while cleaning the easements along sections of U.S. Highways 69 and 54. By convincing KDOT to let him have the trees he said he is saving both the fish habitat and the money it would cost for KDOT to haul the trees away to be burned.

The trees were placed by George with the help of some City of Fort Scott employees as well as a a group of 15 volunteers from the Kansas City, Kan.-based Grundfos Pumps Corporation. The trees were placed at various depths in strategic locations to help different breeds of fish, according to George.

Bob Reinmund, Senior Product Specialist with Grundfos Pumps Corporation, said that at his company's core values lies volunteer work with emphasis on opportunities that involve sustainable activities. As a reader of George's articles and an avid fisherman, Reinmund contacted George asking if he needed help.

"Anywhere that we can volunteer our efforts and help out a community, we make an effort to do it," Reinmund said.

George said that promoting the development of the fish habitats around the area are significant for the area's economic growth. He said that many fisherman come from surrounding areas to fish in the public lakes and while in town they buy food, gas and hotel rooms. Reinmund agreed saying that just while they were in Fort Scott helping with the project, they had purchased breakfast and lunch for all the volunteers.

"The economic opportunities here are valuable and important to our areas," George said. "It also justifies why we should have more lakes open to the public instead of building them and fencing them off."