Friends of Reservoirs and Bass Pro Shops are proud to proclaim New Mexico B.A.S.S. Nation, Magnolia West Bass Club, Friends of Carr Creek and Harrisburg Area Chamber of Commerce as the winners of the 4th Annual Small Projects Grant Program for 2017. Friends of Reservoirs offers $1000 cash grants to Friends of Reservoirs member organizations to assist in their local fisheries habitat restoration efforts. Friends of Reservoirs membership dues are used exclusively for this program and Bass Pro Shops continues to cosponsor this program.

Spawning habitat for largemouth and smallmouth bass on Cochiti Reservoir, New Mexico has been negatively impacted by massive wildfires and subsequent infiltration of sediments and debris from the nearby Rio Grande river drainage.  Several miles of the reservoir inlet have silted in over the last five years, eliminating most of the prime largemouth bass spawning areas.  New Mexico B.A.S.S. Federation, in conjunction with Albuquerque Hawg Hunters will use the grant to help create spawning habitat southeast of the earthen dam using natural materials that are already in the lakebed.

Magnolia West is a high school angling club. Funds will be used to purchase Mossback structures to use as artificial cover. Friends of Reservoirs encourages youth involvement in conservation efforts and is proud of the initiative shown by students involved in this project.

Friends of Carr Creek are working cooperatively with Kentucky Department of Wildlife Resources on habitat enhancement programs on Carr Creek Reservoir. Funds from this grant will be used to purchase materials for Mossback structures, trees, wooden pallet structures, stake buckets, and plastic structures.

Harrisburg Area Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, will use project funds to map existing and future habitat sites at Lake Poinsett. Area high school students will provide labor for the project and is another example of giving youth an introduction to habitat conservation and help instill an outdoor ethic for future decision makers and voters.