It’s amazing the things that can be accomplished in conservation when we work together towards a goal. A perfect example of this was what happened on Dec. 10 at Lake Barkley where over 675 live cypress trees were planted and fertilized in Cravens Bay.
This event was put together by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Kentucky B.A.S.S. Nation under the aid of grants received from AFTCO and The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
Members of Kentucky B.A.S.S. Nation, two High School Bass clubs, local Boy Scouts, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and the owners of D2 Fishing LLC all teamed up to knock out this project in just a few hours.
Amongst the group was Bassmaster Elite Series pro Mark Menendez who assisted in planting the Cypress trees as well as film the process for an upcoming episode of Mark Menendez BassTV.
“I was a Nation guy for a long time, so I always want to help out with any conservation project that they’re doing,” Menendez said. “It was really a great event. We split up into groups and had groups digging the holes with the auger, groups dropping live trees and fertilizer and another group filling the holes back in.
“It was a great group of people that was a broad representation of the fishing community that came together to make a difference in conservation.”
While this project took several hours of hard work, the lasting effects that the cypress trees should have on Barkley Lake should be felt for many years to come.
“All we need now is for a few good things to happen and we’re going to have a great little area there on Barkley,” said Menendez. “At the watermarker that we planted the trees, they’re only going to be in the water for 60-90 days a year. These trees provide the fish with habitat between the bank-line and the first piece of structure.”
