Volunteers with the BASS Pac club from Illinois donated 49 hours of their time in 2011 to place 88 artificial fish habitats at Braidwood Lake.
Over the last five years, the group has placed 440 artificial habitats, with the help of Rob Miller, Illinois Department of Natural Resources biologist, as well as volunteers from other clubs. Braidwood Exelon provides the habitats, thanks to Braidwood employee Neal Miller, who organizes it.
The first two years of this project, BASS Pac tried to plant water willows, but they would not survive in the lake’s environment.
Local newspapers have written articles about the club’s efforts, and the host of Illinois Outdoors TV, Don Dziedzina, did a 15-minute segment about the habitats.
This article is part of the Habitat Improvement segment of the larger report, 2011 Annual Achievements in B.A.S.S. Conservation.