Phragmites fighters get $5,000 boost from Bruce Power

By: Liz Dadson October 5, 2016 1376

Phragmites fighters get $5,000 boost from Bruce Power

The Kincardine Residents for the Management of Phragmites have received a $5,000 grant from Bruce Power to help them in their fight against this invasive species along the Lake Huron shoreline.

Phragmites has been a problem in the Kincardine area for the past several years. The municipality first dealt with the issue in 2013 and has so far spent almost $100,000 in an effort to eradicate the weed.

Recently, residents near the beach north of the Kincardine Golf Course, have experienced significant growth of this invasive species. This prompted them to form a group, Kincardine Residents for the Management of Phragmites.

In August, the Municipality of Kincardine hosted a workshop to educate residents in the Kincardine and Port Elgin areas on how to best deal with the weed.

“We left this workshop feeling that we were equipped with the knowledge on how to reduce, if not eliminate, the weed,” says Anita Heikkila, a member of the group, and a Coast Watcher with the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation.

“Now we just have to get the word out to people who enjoy using the beach," she said. "Education is a key component to eliminating this plant.”

Marlene Morrow, Lee Hickling, and Mike and Teresa Powers have been actively fighting phragmites for more than two years; regularly raking, spading, topping plants, bagging and burning. With the municipality's support, the application of herbicide, through spraying of this invasive plant, was implemented last September, and significant improvement is evident.

Given the concern and the recent success, Morrow has become quite passionate about the fight and tries to help inform and educate along the beach in order to help beat phragmites. "I am so excited about the amazing progress in the reduction of phragmites along our Kincardine shoreline, and the number of people who are working so hard to help!”

Greg Dunn, licensed exterminator/contractor and a member of the Green Stream Lawn and Vegetation Control team, has been instrumental in working with the municipality to help control phragmites.

“Our best immediate defence is to apply approved herbicide, through spraying, to this terribly invasive plant," he said. "Spraying the plants with herbicide reduces their growth and then allows volunteers to better manage single plants by cutting them off at the base of the plant, a process called “spading,” and by dead-heading the plants when the seeds appear.”

Dunn said the areas that seem to be more difficult to control are those where phragmites is growing in the water; for example, the Brucedale Conservation Area.

Currently, testing is being done at Long Point and Rondeau Bay, in hopes of obtaining government approval to safely spray over-water herbicides, by helicopter, on major infestations of phragmites in deep-water areas throughout the province, similar to Brucedale. Until then, Dunn and his team are planning to use a cutting machine to drown the plants and help reduce infestations.

The Kincardine Residents for the Management of Phragmites applied for, and received the $5,000 grant from Bruce Power.

Gail Walden, a member of the group, said this money will be used to purchase a few rakes and spades, but also to hire students to work with Kincardine resident volunteers, raking up dead phragmites stalks and spading plants as they reappear next summer.

The group hopes to continue eradicating phragmites along the lakeshore, from Golf Links Road to just north of the 5th Concession.

Dr. Janice Gilbert, a wetland ecologist and phragmites advisor for Kincardine, said there are no natural controls to keep phragmites in check.

“This is an allelopathic plant that exudes chemicals from its roots that harm other plants," she said. "Furthermore, below ground, the rhizomes and roots can develop into a dense, thick mat several metres thick.”

Gilbert said phragmites has wiped out other naturally-occurring plants and destroyed habitats for wildlife, such as birds, turtles and frogs.

“It is encouraging to see people working together to help eliminate the weed,” said group member Paul West of Kincardine. “Working collaboratively with the Municipality of Kincardine, sharing resources and knowledge, just makes sense.”

He and his wife, Heather, have been working for three years to stop the spread of phragmites in the Goderich Street area.
“We have had people call out angrily at us as we work, concerned that we are disturbing the habitat of the wildlife," said Heather, adding that public education is an important part of the effort to stop the spread of phragmites.

Kincardine recreation director Karen Kieffer agreed that the key to successfully controlling this weed is the formation of partnerships.

"The collaboration that has formed among the municipality, the residents, phragmites experts and companies such as Bruce Power, will most certainly guarantee us positive outcomes in the elimination of this weed," she said.