HDPE conduits converted into fish habitat at Texas lake

Gainesville, Texas-based Petroflex North America LLC is turning scrap from its high density polyethylene conduit extrusion operation into artificial reefs for fish in Lake Conroe near Houston with partner Pond King Inc.

HDPE pipes, when converted into aquatic underwater structures, provide a place for fish to feed and grow while pipe makers have another way to recycle their products.

Founded in 1993, Petroflex, an Arcane Industry Co. business, operates 24/7 to produce smooth wall and corrugated conduit up to 6 inches in diameter to protect cables for the electric utility, telecommunications, data/voice, wind, solar and irrigation markets.

With an estimated $59 million in annual sales, Petroflex is the 64th-largest North American pipe, profile and tubing producer, according to Plastics News' latest rankings. The company was purchased earlier this year by Little Rock, Ark.-based private investment firm Arcane Capital Partners along with Wichita, Kan.-based injection molder Wescon Plastics LLC.

For the artificial fish habitats, Petroflex is partnering with Gainesville-based Pond King, which opened in 1995 to offer lake and pond management services and fish stocking. The company then began designing and manufacturing its own products, including mini pontoon boats, floating docks and duck blinds.

Creating fish habitats comes in the form of grass, shrubs, brush, trees and spawning discs branded as Honey Hole products. The goal is to offer fish the benefits of submerged natural vegetation — a place to hide, feed and hunt — without disrupting the ecosystem.

At almost 5 feet tall, the conduit branches in Lake Conroe create a home and feeding station while a rotomolded polyethylene base molded by Advanced Pedestals Ltd. acts as the tree stump.

The HDPE conduit sections imitate branches that will then provide a home for algae and plankton for small bait fish such as minnows, shad and yearling bream, which then attract larger game fish.

Forty of the so-called Honey Hole Trees were distributed at various depths of Lake Conroe. Friends of Reservoirs and Texas B.A.S.S. Nation, which initiated the project, helped to assemble and place the units.

The conduit branches are 36 inches long and 5/8-inch in diameter, and they are made from material recycled from scrapped pipe and the remnants of Petroflex's manufacturing operation.

Petroflex ground, washed and pelletized the remnants in-house for the Pond King partnership.

The density of the HDPE conduit allows its "branches" to float upward while being inserted into the body of trunk allows smaller fish to enter the interior for spawning and baby large-mouth bass called "fry" to eat and grow.

When used in shallow areas of Lake Conroe, the habitats benefit largemouth bass, catfish and bream populations. In deeper areas, they provide structure for crappie, sand bass and hybrid striped bass.

More than 11,000 feet of the HDPE conduit was used to make the Honey Hole Trees for the Lake Conroe project. This adds up to more than 800 pounds of reused HDPE scrap.

"Our Honey Hole Tree units using the HDPE tubing is far superior for building an underwater habitat compared to using brush ... because the HDPE material will not deteriorate over time," Jill Roush, director of marketing for Pond King, said in a news release. "A small brush pile will last at most a year. The habitats using sustainable HDPE material will last for decades to ensure healthy game fish populations for future anglers to enjoy at Lake Conroe."

Jennifer Reeves, Petroflex logistics manager, said the company recycles for internal use and for other companies.

"We are 'for hire' on recycling, which is a really big thing right now. We're well positioned with our sustainability efforts and looking to expand that by joining Operation Blue and Operation Clean Sweep, which can provide us with further guidance and operating standards," Reeves said. "We are proud of our recycling process, especially when we can help improve the health of our game fish populations in our state. Habitat projects like this will also increase recreational angling opportunities in lakes throughout the state."

Earlier in 2024, the Petroflex-Pond King partnership was named a Project of the Year by the Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. (PPI) for member company Petroflex.

Conduit fish habitats are an ideal way to reuse a lot of scrap, said Patrick Vibien, director of engineering of PPI's Power and Communications Division.

"Currently, HDPE conduit standards restrict the use of recycled HDPE to the conduit manufacturer's own regrind and do not address the use of other available post-consumer, industrial and commercial HDPE supply," Vibien said. "All finished compounds must meet the material requirements of ASTM D3350, plus the associated conduit standard. As such, we are actively working to expand the approved types of recycled plastic that can be used for conduit."

PPI recently formed a task group within the division to focus on ways to improve the sustainability of HDPE conduit, Vibien added.