Reed Canary Grass Project

Reed Canary Grass Project

January 2, 2017

Jeff Clarke details efforts in a multi-year test project to remove Reed Canary Grass and replace it with a more diverse community of rushes, reeds, grasses, and shrubs.

Reed Canary Grass Project

Reed canary grass (RCG) grows in the moist floodplain soil. Its deep, dense root system and thick, unpalatable biomass choke out weaker native competitors. We would like to remove RCG and replace it with a more diverse community of rushes, reeds, grasses and shrubs.

In an attempt to eliminate the grass, we tried several different aquatic-friendly herbicides. We sprayed two large areas multiple times in 2014 and 2015. The herbicide applications thinned the grass for awhile, but in 2016 the RCG came back in full with even fewer native plants. I spoke with Lucas McIver from Watershed Consulting. He had tried several different RCG management methods in the past and found that weed fabric was the only tried and true way to manage the hearty grass.

Before we started to mat the grass, we tried to burn a few RCG fields to see if the elimination of seed would help slow growth. The added carbon and the elimination of expired plant material only increased the plants’ vigor.

In 2015 we conducted our first large scale RCG restoration project with weed fabric. We designated the photographed area (250’x130’) as a 100% RCG monoculture with little wildlife value. At first, we tried to mat the grass as it was. We found that the large stands of biomass made it tough to secure the mat to the ground. We went though with weed- whackers and mulched the vegetation. The mat was much easier to secure afterward.

Here is the RCG patch that we matted in 2015. This spot lies on the Northern Floodplain.

In the spring of 2016 we cut 2,500 willow stems and stabbed them through the mat. To encourage the stems to grow, we dipped them in root growth hormone, and sunk them two feet into the ground. When willow stems are underground or in water for extended periods of time, they produce roots from their submerged bark.

Within five months, most of the willows doubled in size while the RCG remained at bay. In September, we cut four 3’x 3’ squares into the mat where the willows were planted. In 2017 we will survey the squares to see if additional willow stems grew and if the RCG came back. If we find that the RCG doesn’t return, we will will experiment with different native sedge and grass mixes to fill in the willow forest understory.

Due to the success we had with the mats and willow cuttings, we decided to replicate this restoration study in four new RCG monocultures in different areas of the floodplain. In 2017 we will add additional plant species into the mats to test survivorship. In the following slides we show more detailed maps of the new matted areas.

Additional Areas 1 & 2

Additional Areas 3 & 4

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