More than 500 discarded Christmas trees are heading to lakes instead of landfills.

A collection drive held over the weekend at the Capitol Market in Charleston gathered at least 525 trees. The state Division of Natural Resources plans to take the trees to Summersville and Stonecoal lakes, where they will be used to create reefs.

Greg Rote with the state's Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan says the reefs will give fish protection and a place to spawn.