Completion Form

2023

Aerial application of glyphosate was completed by Hammond Helicopter.  Aerial application included lakebed phragmites and maintenance spot spraying at Farmington Bay, Howard Slough, Ogden Bay, Harold Crane waterfowl management areas (WMA's). Treatments consisted of >90% Phragmites and <10% cattail. Year 1 complete coverage treatments were implemented at Willard Spur WMA outside of Harold Crane dike and at Ogden Bay near the airboat channel.

Follow up applications (2nd & 3rd year applications), and maintenance applications (4th year or beyond) of herbicide for Phragmites control was accomplished using track machines mounted sprayers, airboat mounted sprayers, and by ATV mounted sprayers. Ground applications were implemented by DWR Northern Region waterfowl staff, other DWR staff, and volunteers. Some ground application was implemented by Bonneville LLC (primary contractor) at Ogden Bay, Farmington Bay, and the Bear River Bird Refuge.

Box Elder and Cache Counties used ground spraying equipment to treat Phragmites in their respective counties. Cache County mostly used ground equipment consisting of ATV/UTV and truck mounted sprayers. Box Elder County used similar spray equipment in addition to using a helicopter for aerial treatments.

To help remove and accelerate decomposition of dead Phragmites biomass contractors mowed and or trampled areas at Farmington Bay, and Willard Spur WMA in March, April, and May, of 2023. These vegetation manipulations will encourage growth from competitive desirable species and allow for easier access for follow up treatment of any surviving Phragmites stems/plants with ground application equipment the following year. UDWR waterfowl personnel did not mow this year due to high runoff and flood mitigation efforts.

Once monotypic stands of Phragmites have been thinned it becomes a plant-by-plant herbicide treatment in order to reduce damage to desirable species such as Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), Threesquare (Schoenoplectus americanus ) and Alkali Bulrush (Bolboschoenus maritimus). Some sources indicate a delayed application of herbicide after desirable plants have started into dormancy may reduce mortality on desirable plants. Phragmites being a warm season grass goes into dormancy after a period of frost and typically after some native plants such as Alkali Bulrush. This allowed for spot-treatment in areas where living Phragmites stems were present.
 
Grazing was also implemented on Farmington Bay, Howard Slough, Ogden Bay, and Harold Crane WMA's. Over 5,000 acres was grazed. Cattle are used in areas that typically dry out before herbicide application can be implemented in August. Since spraying drought stressed plants does not work, cattle are great tools to remove this years growth, open areas up for bird use and hunter access, and to help reduce Phragmites seed production. Cattle are also used in areas that have completed the 3 year treatment cycle in order to maintain current vegetation conditions.

Revegetation efforts and monitoring continues in cooperation with USU and FFSL in order to improve techniques, seed mixes, and other methods. Active revegetation after herbicide and mechanical treatments is needed to reach desirable wetland vegetation. A large scale planting effort was implemented at Farmington Bay (outside Teal Lake Unit) in the fall of 2022. The planting consisted of plugs and rhizomes. These efforts will continue with USU. A final report from USU will be uploaded to this project when available (December 2023). FFSL coordinated seeding of Inland Saltgrass and Alkali bulrush in areas where Phragmites has been eradicated. The areas were disked first then broadcast seeded. 18 acres were seeded with approximately 1,600 lbs of native seeds in strategic locations in June 2023. Very high seeding rate are used because USU data suggests high seeding rates better prevent Phragmites reinvasion and are worth the increased cost.

This funding allowed for the purchase of herbicide, contract for aerial application and vegetation removal, maintenance of all equipment, materials and supplies, monitoring of revegetation techniques (through Utah State University), and purchase of necessary supplies to control Phragmites australis and other invasive weeds on Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) wetland areas. It also paid for treatments in Cache and Box Elder Counties.

Phragmites was the primary target species scheduled for treatment; however other invasive weeds were controlled during this effort. These include, but are not limited to, Perennial Pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium), Dyers Woad (Isatis tinctoria), Hoary Cress (Cardaria spp.), thistle species (Cirsium spp.), Waterhemlock (Cicuta maculata), Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima), and Cattail, (Typha spp.).  Cattail and phragmites was treated in the period between August 1 and September 30, and the other noxious weed species were treated from mid-April to June 10.

FFSL lakebed Phragmites treatments included: 3,921 acres aerial spray,  60 acres ground spray, 800 acres mowing, 2,187 acres trampling, 18 acres seeding. The seeded areas saw very successful germination. USU will monitor the establish of this seed.

DWR aerial application consisted of 2,109 acres of Phragmites treatment at Farmington Bay, Howard Slough, Ogden Bay, Harold Crane, and Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area's.

DWR Ground herbicide applications consisted of  3,890 acres covered. A total of 560 acres, of the 3,980, was actually sprayed with herbicide.

Bonneville LLC (primary contractor) treated 430 acres with ground equipment in various locations at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Cache County used ground equipment to cover 161 acres, of which, 58 acres was actually sprayed with herbicide. Box Elder County treated just over 200 acres with use of ground equipment and helicopter.

PMG vegetation control (secondary contractor) trampled 931 acres at Willard Spur WMA. They also mowed 67 acres at Farmington Bay.

USU Research/Monitoring
In seeding field trials, we evaluated different native seed mix compositions and seeding densities to maximize native plant community cover and limit Phragmites reinvasion. We established new experiments in Great Salt Lake wetlands outside the Teal Lake Unit at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in collaboration with DFFSL and DWR. The experiments were installed in summer 2022 and we are tracking native plant and Phragmites cover in all plots through the 2022 and 2023 growing seasons. We have analyzed and synthesized our data from year 1. Thus far, we have found that some species are performing very well in our seeding trials (Nuttall's sunflower, beggartick, golden dock, alkali bulrush, saltgrass, Western goldentop, fringed willowherb) while others are not (Torrey's rush, saltmarsh rush, arctic rush, Canada goldenrod, joe-pye weed, alkali muhly, Nuttall's alkaligrass). Of the two seeding densities that we are evaluating (180 PLS/ft2, 900 PLS/ft2), we are seeing a strong positive effect of the higher density. We will integrate year 2 data into our results at the end of the 2023 field season

With the exception of the Willard Spur WMA (treatments started by FFSL a couple years ago), and a few other small units at each WMA (treatments failed due to loss of water control), we are now in more of a maintenance mode, treating patches of Phragmites throughout the whole WMA.

Other management techniques such as grazing, and summer drawdowns (drought stressing Phragmites) will be used following the third or fourth year of treatment to aid in control efforts. Grazing will also continue to be used in areas where water control is inconsistent and is therefore the better option over herbicide treatments.

As the Great Salt Lake continues to recede, barren mudflats increases the likelihood of Phragmites germination and expansion. Efforts are underway to coordinate treatments and funding with FFSL and other potential partners such as the Sewer Districts and Nature Conservancy. FFSL continues to partner with DWR through this ongoing project to continue large scale phragmites removal on GSL lakebed.

Coordination with Universities and researchers will continue to insure best management practices are implemented. We are currently working with USU on re-vegetation techniques in order to establish more desirable wetland species following Phragmites control efforts. 
Coordination and dissemination of information about Phragmites control continues to be an integral part of this project. Information pertaining to best management practices for NGO's, private landowners, and other government agencies will continue to be presented.

Monitoring and research will continue with USU in order to provide answers needed for revegetation efforts. We (Karin Kettenring, Keith Hambrecht, Chad Cranney, David England, and Jason Jones) hosted an incredibly successful field tour with ~40 wetland managers from northern Utah representing all the various wetland stakeholders in the region (e.g., USFWS; UT Geological Survey; UT Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands; UT Division of Wildlife Resources; Bureau of Reclamation; Ducks Unlimited; Audubon; The Nature Conservancy; USU and BYU academics; and private duck club owners). The field tour generated press.

Chad Cranney

08/31/2023 14:00:39