Controlling Phragmites in Ontario: Challenges, Successes, Next Steps

Lake St Clair Bi-national Conference October 21, 2015 Bradley Convention Centre, Chatham, ON

J.M. Gilbert, Ph.D. Wetland Ecologist Nature Conservancy of Canada Co-chair, Ontario Phragmites Working Group [email protected] Historical Distribution

Modified from: Catling, Paul M., and Gisèle Mitrow. 2011. The recent spread and potential distribution of Phragmites australis subsp. australis in Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 125: 95–104. Predicted Distribution 2030

Catling, Paul M., and Gisèle Mitrow. 2011. The recent spread and potential distribution of Phragmites australis subsp. australis in Canada. Canadian Field- Naturalist 125: 95–104. Invasive Phragmites distribution in Lake St. Clair wetlands, 2007 Percentage of Invasive Phragmites in Lake St. Clair Marshes 2007

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Club SCWR intale / Marsh Marsh P Rex Club Rex Redhead Big Point St. Lukes St. Winterline Bear reek Bear Bay Lodge Club Marsh Paternoster Fighting Island, Detroit River, September 2008 Challenges

1. Phragmites strengths

2. Insufficient public awareness

3. Need to change human behaviour

4. Control using current tools 1. Phragmites strengths: modes of spread

 Seeds

 Stems

 Rhizomes & Stolons Kettle Point, Lake Huron, March 2012 Detroit River, May 2011 (M. Gartshore) Sturgeon Creek Wetland, Lake Erie, July 2014 North Bruce shoreline, Lake Huron, June 4, 2015 Rondeau Provincial Park, Lake Erie, September 2012 1.Phragmites strengths : rapid establishment and growth

 Can readily colonize moist, exposed soil

 Once established spreads predominantly underground via rhizomes

 Dense clones ~200 stems/m2; rhizomes observed at 10m depths

 Exponential growth in colony size Kettle Point, April 2012 St. Joseph Island, Lake Huron, August 2011

1. Phragmites strengths: adaptability

 Wide habitat tolerance - brackish to freshwater - >1m water depth to >1m above water table - low to high nutrient sites - pH 4.8 – 8.2 - cool temperate to tropical desert Crown Marsh, Long Point, Lake Erie, July 2008 Crown Marsh, Long Point, Lake Erie, July 2008 Point Farms Provincial Park, Lake Huron, September 2010 1.Phragmites strengths: evolutionary infrastructure promotes mono-specific tendencies

 strong competitor for nutrients

 allelopathic

 no “effective” natural controls Challenges cont’d.

2. General lack of awareness about Phragmites Oliphant August 2015 Kettle Point, Lake Huron, August 2012 Municipality of Kincardine, July 2015 Long Point October 2015 Key Messages: *Loss of recreational opportunities *Negative impacts on tourism *Decline in shoreline property values *Liability issues (fire, blocked views at intersections) *Loss of biodiversity *Threat to Species at Risk Challenges cont’d.

3. How to change human behaviour

- education - incentives - public pressure - policy - fines Heavy equipment is a significant source for spread throughout the province

Catling, Paul M., and Gisèle Mitrow. 2011. The recent spread and potential distribution of Phragmites australis subsp. australis in Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 125: 95–104. Preventing Further Contamination and Spread

• It is much more costly to control Phragmites after it’s established than it is to prevent its spread

. Clean the equipment before moving from a contaminated site to an uncontaminated site How do we expand local government action?

Norfolk County Rd.1, July 2009 How do we engage the agricultural community?

Norfolk County, August 2015 Smart Practices for the Control of Invasive Phragmites along Ontario’s Roads

Version I, March 2015 Ontario Phragmites Working Group How do we get northern communities to be proactive?

Manitoulin Island, June 2015 How do we the get the MTO to be more engaged?

Highway #17 East of Sault St. Marie, 2011 How do we stop ATV activity in sensitive areas?

Baie du Dore September, 2015 Challenges cont’d.

4. How do we control invasive Phragmites using the tools currently available?

- mechanical (cutting, covering, drowning)

- chemical for non-flooded sites (Weathermax, VisionMax) Reducing collateral damage: “Do the most good with the least harm” Presence of SAR

Long Point October 2015 Presence of Desirable Species

Baie du Dore September 2015 High and Low Density Cells

Baie du Dore September 2015 Long Point October 2015 Presence of water

Long Point October 2015 Baie du Dore September 2015 Difficult Terrain

Lake Huron, September, 2012 Remote Areas

Long Point October 2015 Very High Density

Turkey Point July 2015 Large Scale Sites

Baie du Dore September 2015 High Winds

Manitoulin Island, June 2015 Recreational Areas

Lake Huron, July 2010 Lake Huron shoreline, July 2012 4. How do we control invasive Phragmites using the tools currently available?

 Site specific

 Some sites can be controlled with current tools

 Most cannot “Successes”

Solid plan: • Area of focus • Establish partnerships • Funding sources ‘Do the most good with the least harm’ • Timing • Appropriate methods • Experienced/trained personnel • LOPs and other permissions • Priority setting • Good communication Destructive activities will become more prevalent

Manitoulin Island, July 2015 Municipality of Lambton Shores, July 2013 “Successes”: Municipality of Kincardine

• Management Plan • Municipality investing $30,000/yr • Partnerships: Saugeen Valley CA, On Parks, Bruce Nuclear, Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation, Enbridge, Cottage Associations • Methods include herbicide (track vehicles, backpack), prescribed burn, cutting/drowning Municipality of Kincardine Phragmites Management Plan, Phase 1

B16 B15 B14 B13

B12

B11

B10 B9

B6 B5 B4 B3 B2 B1

October 2015 “Successes”: Kettle Point, Lake Huron

Satellite image of Kettle Point showing extent of invasive Phragmites.Blue flags illustrate areas where invasive Phragmites densities were recorded. Demonstration Site

Pre-control September 2011 Post-control July 2012

4.6 acre coastal meadow marsh Restoration efforts

Pete Cloud Sr., Jennifer George, and Manny Cloud, April 23, 2013 Sep 12 2012 ‘KP Phrag Busters’

P.Cloud Sr. Sep 2013 Before invasive Phragmites control, Lake Huron, fall 2011 After invasive Phragmites control, Lake Huron, spring 2014 Invasive Phragmites Control Projects in Ontario 2007-2015

Lake Huron: • Honey Harbour • Midland • Wasaga Beach Provincial Park • City of Wiarton • Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association • Bruce Peninsula National Park • Saugeen 1st Nations • City of Hamilton • Oliphant, Friends of • Royal Botanical • Municipality of Saugeen Shores Gardens • Township of Huron-Kinloss • Six Nations • Sauble Beach • St Catherines • Municipality of Kincardine • City of St. Thomas • Inverhuron Provincial Park • City of London • Point Farms Provincial Park • GM Plant, Ingersoll • Port Franks • Grand Bend • Kettle Point • Municipality of Lambton Shores • Sarnia Lake Erie: Lake St. Clair/Detroit River: • Rondeau Bay • Ruscom Shores • Rondeau Provincial Park • Fighting Island • Lee Brown Marsh • Light House Cove • Turkey Point Provincial Park • Bear Creek, CWS • Point Pelee National Park • Long Point Tip (Bird Studies Ca) • Long Point Company • Long Point Crown Marsh “At the Crossroads”

 Status quo

 Undertake a concerted, aggressive Province-wide initiative Achieving the goal of an effective, efficient and environmentally responsible invasive Phragmites control program for Ontario

6 Key Components:

1. Requires a concerted effort to control Phragmites along roads and agricultural drainage ditches throughout the province. Achieving the goal of an effective, efficient and environmentally responsible invasive Phragmites control program for Ontario

2. Requires access to appropriate herbicides for over water and aerial application.

www.nuisanceplantcontrol.com www.nature.org Achieving the goal of an effective, efficient and environmentally responsible invasive Phragmites control program for Ontario

3. Requires Provincial Government support for an effective public education campaign. Achieving the goal of an effective, efficient and environmentally responsible invasive Phragmites control program for Ontario

4. Requires sufficient, dedicated funds committed from both Federal and Provincial Governments for at least 10 years. Achieving the goal of an effective, efficient and environmentally responsible invasive Phragmites control program for Ontario

5. Requires efforts to be locally driven but be supported by all levels of governments. Achieving the goal of an effective, efficient and environmentally responsible invasive Phragmites control program for Ontario

6. Requires a detailed plan

To include information on:

 Scope of current invasion: habitat type, ditches, acreage

 Control options (water, timing, habitat, recreational activity…)

 Dealing with complications of different land ownership (Federal, Provincial, Conservation Authorities, Municipal, Private, NGOs)

 Associated costs; funding options

 Prioritizing target sites

 Building short and long-term capacity/infrastructure Ontario Phragmites Working Group Est. Dec. 2011 Committee of the Ontario Invasive Plant Council 2013

• MNRF/MOECC • Long Point Waterfowl • Ontario Parks • Master Gardeners of Ontario • National Parks • Ontario Horticultural Association • Lake Huron Centre for Coastal • Lambton Community in Bloom Conservation • Grand Bend and Area Horticultural • First Nations Society • Lambton Shores Phragmites • Conservation Ontario Community Group • Carolinian Canada • Municipality of Chatham/Kent • Researchers (University of Waterloo, • Township of Huron-Kinloss McMaster University, Humber College) • Hamilton Phragmites Working Group • BASF • Canadian Wildlife Service • Private contractors • Environment Canada • St. Thomas Phragmites Community Group • Nature Conservancy of Canada • Great Lakes Our Waters • Ducks Unlimited Canada • Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Assoc. • Georgian Bay Forever • OFA • Ontario Good Roads Association • Friends of Laurel Creek, Waterloo • City of London • Long Point Rate Payers Assoc. The most important message:

DO NOT IGNORE PHRAGMITES

 it will eventually become problematic

 the quicker an infestation is dealt with, the easier and less costly it will be to manage Is this the next problematic invasive? Partners:

Nancy Vidler, Lambton Shores Emily Slavik Phragmites Community Group Rondeau Provincial Park

Darren Jacobs Karen Alexander, Peter Cloud Sr.,Kettle and Frank Letourneau Moravian Town Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Stony Point First Nation Dover Agri-serve First Nation Conservation Acknowledgements: Canada/Ontario Agreement/Lake Erie Management Unit, Ontario Parks, Rondeau Bay Waterfowler’s Association,Keith McLean, Rondeau Provincial Park Staff (Rick Hornsby, Richard Post, Jon Wild, Mike Nettleton, Mark McClennan, Chris Cakebread, Brady Waterworth, Tyler Verburg),The Friends of Rondeau (Ric and Anne McArthur), LEMU Staff (Lindsay Bennett, Heather Whitford, Tina Werner, Brian Locke, Rich Drouin, Kurt Oldenburg, Dixie Greenwood, John Cooper), Greg Dunn, Kent Stewardship Rangers, The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation (Geoff Peach), Turkey Point Provincial Park (Mike Postma, Julie Foster), SW Zone On Parks (Melody Cairns), Dr. Jan Ciborowski, Dr. Joe Gathman (Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Consortium),Manny Cloud, Alf Rider, Scott Gillingwater