Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Three sites on West Point Lake will continue to accept discarded Christmas trees through Friday, Jan. 8. These trees may be dropped off in designated sites at Rocky Point boat ramp north of West Point and at the Sunny Point or Yellowjacket boat ramps north of LaGrange.

Real trees – not the artificial kind – are being accepted and all the decorations must have been removed. No tinsel, garland, bulbs, ornaments, etc. can be on a tree when left at the dropping point.

“Please place the trees in the designated areas in the parking lots,” said Kevin Parsons of the West Point Project office. “The dumping of household trash at these sites is strictly prohibited.”

Those who want to place their tree in the lake may do so provided they follow the following safety guidelines:

4Avoid placing the tree in a boating channel.

4Do not place the trees where they could become safety hazards to boaters or swimmers. They should not be placed near boat launching ramps or in swimming areas.

4Use a suitable anchoring system to prevent the tree from floating away or moving around. A cement block will work well as an anchor for one or two trees, but it must be securely fastened to the tree using nylon twine or similar material.

4Trees will attract more fish if they are placed in deeper water and in an area where the water depth changes significantly, such as near an underwater ridge or hump. Fish tend to be around these areas throughout the year.

Although a permit is not necessary to place a few Christmas trees in the lake, anglers who wish to have a large number of trees or other types of structures for fishing reefs should contact the Project Management Office at (706) 645-2937. For more information, go to www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Recreation/WestPointLake.aspx.