Submerged trees in your Waters!- By Brad

Whenever you come across a tree that has fallen into the water, do you think that the tree no longer serves a purpose or that it should be taken out of the water? This is where people are often times mistaken, myself included. For centuries human beings have altered our landscapes through the removal of trees to build the homes and buildings that we see today. By taking down trees around lakes and removing those that have fallen in the water, the habitats and communities are also removed. The natural growing cycle is stopped by the removal of trees, with seedlings prevented from reaching the ground after falling from both submerged and standing trees. However, thoroughly educating people about why these trees are so important may change the way that they think about their property, saving trees on land and in the water.  

Educating people about the importance of trees along lakes is vital because even though trees that have fallen into the water have ended their life on land, they have begun a "second life" submerged in water. What this means is that a tree once again plays a significant part in nature. Something that is often times over looked is that for a roughly about a season after the tree has fallen into the water it will still contain its leaves, offering the highest habitat complexity for underwater species. These trees are also home to a large variety of fish such as largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleyes, bluegills, northern pike, and even musky.

Submerged trees have multiple purposes for a wide variety of fish. For example largemouth and smallmouth bass prefer to build their nests near logs or submerged branches because it helps protect their eggs from predators by giving the fish less of a perimeter to cover in protecting its young from lurking predators. When fish hatch they often live within the branches. If there are no trees for them to hide in, some fish populations may decline dramatically. Large predators such as musky or northern pike use submerged tress to ambush their prey as it swims by. Also those species of fish such as walleyes who prefer low light conditions use the shade provided by tree branches to ambush prey during the day.

The relationship between submerged trees and fish is influenced by the orientation of the tree in the water. More numbers of fish use trees that have more branches and are larger than those that do not. This is because fish have more places to hide and feel more protected from predators. But smaller trees that are bunched together can hold as many fish if not more than larger trees that have fallen into the water. Also trees that are located near plant beds create more complex habitats that fish can thrive in.

For those lakes that have a low abundance of trees along their shorelines or in the water, other man-made structures know as fish cribs can be placed in the water. Fish cribs are a Lincoln-log type box design that is often times weighed down by rocks or cement and is used to hold fish for habitat management. Even though this idea sounds great, human made structures do not always replace natural structures for fish. The best solution for keeping trees in the water along shorelines, is to inform the public about their significance to both the environment and life below the water. So the next time you see a tree next to the shore about to fall over or one that is already in the water, think about how much aquatic life it is supporting and will support for years to come!