Wow, 109 Shelbyville cubes in a day! Volunteers and partner agencies worked to mass-produce fish habitat for Eufala Lake earlier this month. Shelbyville cubes provide fantastic complex habitat in scenarios where a long-lasting plastic structure is desired. The Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership hosted a workshop on their efficient construction at its 2022 annual meeting, led by the experts at Lake Shelbyville, the Lake Shelbyville Fish Habitat Alliance. Their guidance is provided through our Science page here: https://www.friendsofreservoirs.org/science/pvc-cube-construction/
ODWC staff, Choctaw Nation Department of Wildlife Conservation, The Muskogee Creek Nation Wildlife Department, The U.S Army Corps of Engineers, and angler volunteers.
ODWC, along with incredible partners and volunteers, came together to construct 109 Shelbyville Fish Habitat Cubes, all in just one day!
All 109 cubes were placed in Eufaula Lake, where they’ll help enhance fish habitat and support the lake’s ecosystem for years to come. These structures are expected to last around 20 years, which is significantly longer than traditional cedar tree habitats.
Numbers: To build 109 cubes it took:
5,450 feet of PVC pipe
872 PVC corners, bricks, and stock caps
11,369 feet of corrugated pipe
1,308 zip ties
436 feet of construction fencing
55 bags of pea gravel
We're incredibly grateful for everyone who stepped in to help. The Eufaula Habitat Projects wouldn’t be possible without the support and involvement of our community. We’re proud to protect and improve a lake we all love.
“On behalf of Mike Hollie (F) and myself I would like to thank you all for coming out and assisting with the Eufaula Habitat Build. In total we were able to construct 109 cubes in a single day thanks to your hard work. Projects such as this are too big for one office, or even one region, to complete on their own. I deeply appreciate everyone’s willingness to take a day out of their schedule and assist us with this project. I know all of you are busy and it’s difficult to find time to assist another office, region, or division with projects. All of you went above and beyond to achieve a lofty goal that will benefit the current and future anglers of Oklahoma. It is my belief that collaboration such as this captures the true spirit of the Department of Wildlife and I am grateful you were all willing to be a part of it.” -Doug Zentner (F)
