Fish Habitats Available for SMLA Docks 

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (VDWR) will be installing small fish habitat structures under private docks. The small structures are designed specifically to be placed under docks to target areas with the least amount of juvenile fish habitat.

The ideal dock location should have a gently sloping shoreline. Some sites are very steep and if too steep, the structures could slide to depths that are too deep for juvenile fish.

The dock should have an area where the structure can be placed at a depth of 3-5 feet under a fixed deck area. The habitats cannot be placed under boat lifts or floating docks. Some areas of the main channel that experience extreme wave action may not be suitable because structures could move or deteriorate from excessive wave action.

If you feel your dock meets the minimum installation criteria and you are interested in having a fish habitat installed, please contact Dan Wilson, fisheries biologist, at dan.wilson@dwr.virginia.gov or Roger Blankenship, SMLA fish habitat committee chair at habitat@smlassociation.org to have your location considered for a habitat installation this year.