One of Union County’s greatest treasures is its abundance of natural resources, and together, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Future Farmers of America and the Union County Recreation Department are doing more to preserve it.
In service to natural preservation, a busload of Katie Rittenhouse’s agriculture students from Union County High School met with DNR and Rec Department representatives on Feb. 5 at the boat ramp off Deavers Road to set up fish attractors in Lake Nottely.
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There, they learned about the importance of conservation from Jim Marchman of the Rec Department and Game Warden Cpl. Matt Johnson.
They also met new Commissioner Harold Collins and County Manager Tony Hughes, both of whom gave their blessing to the project and extended their understanding as avid outdoorsmen themselves.
“Stuff like this excites me; I’m an outdoors person. This is just special to me,” said Hughes after explaining to curious students a bit of how his job managing the county works.
These annual meetups to put out fish attractors have always served as an opportunity for students to get some hands-on learning. In years past, the attractors were made from retired Christmas trees, but in the last year, there’s been a shift.
Rittenhouse has partnered with American Legion Ira Weaver Post 121 of Blairsville to “recycle” wreaths laid each December during the annual Wreaths Across America Ceremony.
After decorating the graves of veterans over the holidays, the wreaths used to be simply gathered up and thrown away, but now, they find new purpose as habitat for local marine life.
Bamboo growing around Ware Chevrolet makes up another part of the equation; the material was chosen because, while still natural, the tougher fibers take longer to break down underwater. The bamboo and wreaths are then placed on plastic pallets to make up a sturdy “habitat.”
FFA students constructed 10 of these habitats, and when it came time to install them in Lake Nottely this month, they were there to see their handiwork off. After loading them onto the boats one or two at a time, DNR officers invited students to go with them out on the water.
On the way, students learned more about why the attractors are necessary. As explained by Fisheries Biologist Josh Stafford, reservoirs like Lake Nottely lack natural fish habitats because they are manmade, making it hard for some species of fish to maintain long-term populations.
The artificial habitats provide shelter for the fish, giving them a safe place to live and breed, thereby upping their population and ensuring not just a thriving underwater ecosystem but also making Lake Nottely a prime choice for fishing and recreation.
Because of fluctuating water levels, the attractors must be brought out to water at least 20 feet deep to stay submerged year-round. Stafford and other officers used fish trackers to find ideal areas in the lake, and the kids were encouraged to help push the attractors into the water.
Back on the shore, the rest of the class waited for their buddies to return and skipped rocks, learning more about the programs that help keep Union County’s natural beauty intact.
“We’re passionate about this lake,” Marchman said. “We believe in conservation, and y’all have responsibility in conservation. If you get your water from Notla Water … that water came from here, so you’ve got to take care of this place.”
Marchman first conceived of the idea of setting out fish attractors in Nottely and is happy to see how much it’s taken off and garnered community attention, noting that “people just love this lake.”
For her part, Rittenhouse enjoys the fact that her students can have fun while learning, all the while “giving back” through the year-long fish habitat project and seeing what job opportunities are out there after graduation.
