WEST POINT — The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers at the West Point Project will soon be accepting non-artificial, real Christmas trees for recycling in West Point Lake.

From now until Jan. 12, donated trees will be used to create brush piles in the lake to improve habitats for fish. Donated trees can be dropped off at Yellowjacket Boat Ramp and Sunny Point Boat Ramp in Georgia and Rocky Point Boat Ramp in Alabama.

People can also dump the trees in the lake themselves if they’d like, following strict rules laid out by the West Point Project.

All decorations such as tinsel, lights, garland and bulbs must be removed from the trees before donating or dumping and trash in donation areas is strictly prohibited. When placed in the lake, trees should not be anywhere near where they might become safety hazards to boaters or swimmers, such as launching ramps and swimming areas.

Trees must be properly anchored so that they don’t float around and be placed in deeper water and areas where the depth changes significantly, which will attract more fish.

Permits are not needed to place Christmas trees in the lank, but those wishing to dump large amounts or other structures that may be used for fish habitats should call the West Point Project Management Office at 706-645-2937.