Lake Red Rock recently received a boost to its fish habitat through a collaborative effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Lake Red Rock Association, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and local volunteers. A grant secured by the Association funded the purchase of the structures which are designed to provide much needed cover and create a sustainable ecosystem within the reservoir. The USACE Lake Red Rock office sought out applicants for a summer externship who organized, coordinated, and managed the implementation of nearly 700 artificial fish structures into the reservoir.

Josh Ellis, a science teacher at Pella Middle School, was selected for the externship to spearhead the effort.

“This project was the whole plan for the externship,” Ellis said. “So, I knew a bit about the project when I applied.”

The manufactured habitats are made of scuffed PVC trunks with angled slots to hold flexible, textured limbs assembled with a cinder block base to keep it at the bottom of the reservoir. The need for these structures stems directly from the unique characteristics of Lake Red Rock’s environment as Ellis explained:

“Essentially because of how the reservoir is, stuff just kind of washes through and there’s no real natural cover for these fish,” he said. “These provide cover for your smaller fish and your bigger fish and it kind of creates this tiny ecosystem for them.”

The project had two types of structures, and both need to be placed near each other to help establish a better aquatic habitat. Josh clarified the names and purpose of each; ‘Safe Havens’ with 18 flexible limbs meant for smaller fish while ‘Trophy Trees’ have half the number of limbs to accommodate larger predatory fish.

“These limbs are kind of rough too, so it can gather moss and algae and other things small fish would feed on just creating this artificial ecosystem,” he said. “Sometimes the lakes will encourage people to bring their old Christmas trees, which is nice, but they go away after about two years, these are here forever.”

As Josh Ellis worked with USACE, Lake Red Rock Association, and Iowa DNR staff he also noted the help of the volunteers who came out to assemble and implement the new addition.

As one volunteer joked, they were just local fishermen with an interest in helping the lake and probably selfishly creating better fishing spots, Ellis conveyed his gratitude stating, “Other people are interested too, but you’re here.”

Read the original article here: DVIDS - News - Lake Red Rock Gains Permanent Fish Cover, Ecosystem Support