HOOVER, Ala. (WBRC) – What do you do with your Christmas trees once the holidays are over? The City of Hoover and Alabama Power have the answer for you.

As in past years, Hoover and Alabama Power have teamed up to help reuse discarded live, non-artificial Christmas trees. Alabama Power is using the trees in a fish habitat improvement program.

“Since 1993, we have been repurposing Christmas trees and building structures to place fish attractors in reservoirs managed by our company,” explains Alabama Power. “In fact, we have recycled over 60,000 trees during this time. We bundle trees and anchor them with concrete blocks. We then record the locations using a GPS for the public to access. In implementing this program, we typically work with fishing clubs, lake associations, school fishing teams or other interested parties.”

Alabama Power goes on to say that as reservoirs age, their condition deteriorates, which is why they are making sure to go back and develop some of these areas.

“As reservoirs age, the natural structure and trees and stumps that provide cover for fish begin to deteriorate. We’re just going to go back and improve some of these habitats. When we do this, algae begins to form, which attracts macroinvertebrates, insect colonies, etc., which in turn attract small fish. Ultimately, they will attract larger fish and then fishermen, creating a complete food chain. So by placing these structures, we are essentially creating the foundation for a mini-ecosystem.”

Hoover residents are encouraged to drop off their trees at the new drop-off location behind the Hoover Public Library any time between December 26th and 31st.

You can also leave your discarded trees at the curb for pickup at home and then request a “Restricted Item for Pickup” through the My Hoover Connect app, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 205-739-7311. However, trees picked up curbside are not used in the Alabama Power Program.

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