Kinzua Fish and Wildlife Association innovates new “Kinzua Loadstone” fish habitats
KANE—This winter the Kinzua Fish and Wildlife Association (KFWA) has been busy creating more habitats for fish on the bottom of the Kinzua Reservoir.
For their first project of 2024, they have been placing concrete “loadstones” on the exposed, muddy flats around the Red Bridge area and attaching recycled Christmas trees to them.
The large gray domes look like something you might put in your fish tank to give your pet fish a place to hide, and in a way that’s exactly what they are for. The structures provide a safe place to hide on an otherwise empty bottom of the reservoir.
They also serve as an anchor point to attach Christmas trees to that provide even more cover for fish. The whole setup is an artificial reef of sorts. It forms the foundation of the food chain that helps fish thrive.
Once the water returns later in the spring, algae will grow on the structure and trees. Minnows will seek cover and food there. Panfish and larger fish will also hide and feed there. The vulnerable young bass and walleye shelter there too. The habitats are part of the whole ecosystem.
PWFA is a non-profit organization of volunteers that are committed to the restoration and preservation of fish and wildlife food and cover. On Saturday a team of volunteers used a machine to place 40 of the 500 pound loadstones and attached 150 trees on Sunday.
According to KFWA President John Lorenzo this February was the perfect time to undertake the task. The reservoir is low, exposing the areas where KFWA is placing the structures and the ground is frozen enough to get the work done.
The club was founded in 1980 and has always been experimenting with different materials for the habitats. They have tried tires, tree stumps, and man-made wooden structures. The recycled Christmas trees have produced the best results, Lorenzo says. They check how well they are performing later in the year by boat after the water level rises.
The tree reefs were attached to concrete cinder-blocks in the past and usually last 5-10 years. The group calls the latest anchor system “Kinzua Loadstones”. They are made locally by Michael Whitmire in Warren who also makes ornamental concrete pieces. They should last upwards of 50 years and resist sinking.
After Christmas the club begins to collect Christmas trees for the mid-winter project. Every year they have a drop-off point in Kane Borough behind the Glenwood Park baseball field where you can take your tree and give it a second life as a fish habitat. They’ve been up-cycling Christmas trees for 30 years.
“It’s amazing how many people don’t know that,” Lorenzo says
If you would like to support the work being done by PWFA you can contribute donations to the Club Secretary Peggy King at Paul’s Trading Post in Kane. The club is always looking for volunteer labor and time.
Call John Lorenzo at 814-366-0857 with any questions and follow on Facebook at https://www. facebook.com/kinzuafishwildlifeassociation