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[ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
3/09/03 ]
Lake Allatoona adds structures to provide extra habitat for bass
By SCOTT BERNARDE
It looked like they were building mini-cabins at a Lake Allatoona boat ramp this past Tuesday. Frames made of PVC piping and steel cable stood
next to each other in assembly-line fashion, as if waiting for a roofer to come by and finish them off.
The structures, 25 in all built on Tuesday, will be homes to many, but not on land.
They were part of a fish-habitat improvement program that officials hope will make the reservoir northwest of Atlanta less like its "Dead Sea"
reputation for novice and newcomer anglers. The program, which will place 300 such structures in the lake over the next five years, is a joint effort
between the Department of Natural Resources, Army Corps of Engineers and a wealth of volunteer organizations.
"Your local anglers who know how to fish the lake will tell you the fishing's been great," said Terrell Stoves, a park ranger for the Corps at
Allatoona. "But for those who come from out of town; a lot of these folks don't know how to fish a spot [spotted bass] lake, which Allatoona has
become.
"They call it the 'Dead Sea' for a reason. It can be tough on people who don't know the lake."
The numbers of those anglers is believed to be large, considering Allatoona is the one of the most frequently visited U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers lakes in the nation, with 13 million annual visitors who camp, hike, boat and fish.
"Hopefully, with our help, they'll have more luck fishing this year," Stoves said.
The structures placed this week were the last of the 75 submerged all over the lake during the past two weeks. All were submerged with
weights in about 20 to 30 feet of water.
Later this year, a map marking the spots will be available on the Internet, and next year, after more attractors are placed, a printed map will be
available.
The triangular structures were selected for their form and durability. Similar structures were put in Carters Lake last fall and were found to be
effective in concentrating fish around them. They will last longer than natural materials, like recycled Christmas trees, that will break down over
time. Still, around 150 Christmas trees were put in the lake after the holidays.
"The bottom line is over the years, [natural] structure rots away," Stoves said. "It's unavoidable. But these new ones will last a long time."
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