The Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership and Friends of Reservoirs is proud to announce that three chapters were awarded with the 2023 Mossback Grant for fish habitat work! These were voted on and approved at the 2023 Annual Business Meeting. Check them out below:
Mossback Habitat will be assembled and deployed by Tennessee Bass Nation High School Anglers. This project will have several levels, educate anglers and improve habitat in this reservoir. Tims Ford is also part of the Bill Dance Trail in Tennessee, we are working closely with the State Park Rangers developing a fishing area for the disabled inside Tims Ford State Park.
We are also planning to deploy stake beds, brush piles and our annual Christmas for fishes project. We use donated block and manmade anchor systems.
The Fisheries and Wildlife Management students will learn about the decrease in aquatic habitats and how wildlife biologists have developed new ways to increase it. The students will learn how habitats have changed over time and how to build artificial habitats that can benefit the aquatic ecosystem in Claytor Lake. This project will increase the aquatic ecosystem in Claytor Lake by providing cover for smaller fish, providing a gathering place for the fish and in return providing the predatory fish a place to hunt. In collaboration with Claytor Lake State Park Rangers and staff, Friends of Claytor Lake and Friends of Reservoirs; Laura Walters of Pulaski County and Inland Fisheries biologists from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
In collaboration with Claytor Lake State Park Rangers and staff, Friends of Claytor Lake and Friends of Reservoirs; Laura Walters of Pulaski County and Inland Fisheries biologists from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. The expected outcome is to provide cover and habitat for aquatic species with an emphasis on fish. This will also serve as an educational endeavor for the Fisheries and Wildlife Management students at Pulaski County High School.
The Jewell Emerson Lake did a dredging project two years ago to maintain water in the lake and to provide better habitat for the fish. The Emerson Lake also added more fish to the lake last year to help with fish population due to the dredging project. Since the increasing of the lake depth the fish are limited on the habitats in the lake. The Emerson Lake is the main attraction for the City of Jewell and most of our City events are involved around the Emerson Lake area.
This project will supplement the dredging project of 2021-22. The previous years the lake had collected silt which was removed during the dredging project the lake is now full of water and it would benefit the with new habitats.
All Mossback Grants can be viewed on the map here: