The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) improved fish habitat in Mozingo Lake near Maryville by sinking brush piles in the lake.

This habitat work is a partnership between the city of Maryville, which owns the lake, and MDC, which manages the fishery.

“Hard woody cover is an important habitat for fish in reservoirs,” Tory Mason, MDC fisheries biologist, said. “But as reservoirs age, the cover deteriorates, so adding brush piles to aging reservoirs helps the overall health of the fishery.”

MDC staff added 40 new brush piles to the lake. Hardwood trees, like locust and Osage orange, were tied together and weighted down, hauled out onto the lake on a barge and sunk in strategic places to benefit fish.