The U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Eufaula Lake office has placed a fishing line recycling bin on the south side of the Eufaula Dam by the parking lot.
In the future, the program may be expanded to other areas.
The concept originated with the Berkley Conservation Institute’s fishing line recycling program, which began in 1990. With the help of anglers everywhere, Berkley has recycled more than 9 million miles worth of fishing line. That’s enough line to fill two reels for every angler in America.
Every day, improperly discarded fishing line causes devastating problems for marine life and the environment. Marine mammals, turtles, fish and birds can become injured from entanglements with the line, or possibly ingest the line, often resulting in death of the species. Not to mention the dangers it can pose for human swimmers and divers as well. There are documented cases of swimmers and divers becoming entangled in fishing line, panicking, and drowning as the result.
Fishing line can also wreak havoc on boat motors and or propellers. When surveyed, boat motor repair services in Northeast Florida indicated that approximately 25-30 percent of all repairs were associated with fishing line entanglement on the propeller or the shaft.
Bringing the program to Eufaula Lake is one way to proactively implement environmentally-friendly and “green” changes to the lake which helps the Corps meet environmental goals. The lake office asks everyone fishing by the dam to please utilize this recycle bin correctly, and help the Corps of Engineers make Eufaula Lake a healthier place to recreate.