•December 21, 2022•

Don’t let your Christmas tree go to waste this year after the holidays. Extend your tree’s life by donating it for Fish Habitat Improvement Day at Lake Shelbyville. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will place discarded trees into Lake Shelbyville to enhance the fisheries for years to come. Donated Christmas trees are bundled together in small groups and submerged in the lake at select locations. These structures provide fish with breeding areas and escape cover, proving invaluable to not only the fisheries but to anglers as well. New trees are added to sites each year to maintain suitable cover.
Trees will be collected in Shelbyville and Sullivan again this year. In Sullivan, trees can be taken to the Sullivan 66 Gas Station, located south of Sullivan on route 32. Trees can be dropped off inside the fenced area on the north side of the building.
In Shelbyville, the designated collection site is at Johnstowne Mall on the west side of Shelbyville. Please place trees inside the fenced area on the grass at the northwest corner of the parking area. Trees will be collected at both sites through February 20, 2023. Before delivering your tree please remove the stand, tinsel and any ornaments. If you have placed a plastic bag on your tree, remove it before leaving the tree. Please do not leave any other kind of tree trimmings, wreaths, flowers or yard waste at the sites. For more information on this fish habitat project, contact Cory Donnel at (217) 774-3951, ext 7001.