You could call it an afterlife for Christmas trees.

Every year, around mid-March, trees are dropped into Lake Mitchell to form new habitats for fish.

The project is the result of a partnership between Alabama Power and volunteers from the Lake Mitchell Home Owners and Boat Owners Association.

APCO brings the Christmas trees to Higgins Ferry, and the volunteers then bundle them together and place them on barges, to be dropped into the lake. This year’s drop will take place March 15 at 9 a.m.

Mike Clelland, Alabama Power Stewardship Coordinator of Environmental Affairs, and Steve Miles, president of HOBO, will be heading up this event.

Following a brief safety talk, the HOBO volunteers and Alabama Power workers tie the trees into bundles of three or four. They then tie a Styrofoam floater to the top of each bundle, so that the treetops will stand upright in the lake.

Concrete blocks are tied to the bottoms, and the bundles are strategically dropped at different places throughout the lake.

The trees create new habitats that will attract fish in Lake Mitchell. Specific tree drop locations are mapped using GPS and are published on the Alabama Power website for the benefit of fishermen.

Lastly, all leftover debris is raked and bagged in an effort to keep the bank at Higgins Ferry clean.

It is worth noting that the spring lake cleanup will be April 2 at 8 a.m. All volunteers will be welcome to participate.