PROJECT
Illinois Beach
State Park
Phragmites & Narrow Leaf
Cattail Control
Location
Lake County, Illinois
Introduction
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) worked with ILM Environments over two years (2019-2020) to control the invasive plant species common reed (Phragmites australis australis) and narrowleaf cattail (Typha angustifolia) at the high-quality Lake Plain site located within Illinois Beach State Park. The project aimed to achieve a 95% kill rate of monoculture populations of both Phragmites and narrowleaf cattail using targeted broadcast applications of EPA-approved herbicides.
Services
- Mapping
- Threatened & Endangered Species Identification
- Invasive Species Control
Details
- Location of all populations of non-native Phragmites using GPS tracking.
- Patch size, shape, and density.
- Site conditions, soil characteristics, and other influencing factors.
- Other species present with particular attention to threatened and endangered plant and animal species observed.
- Location of native giant reed (Phragmites australis americanus) populations.
Observations and data were collected aboard an amphibious Marsh Master from an elevated crow’s nest vantage point. Broadcast herbicide treatment of identified dense, monoculture stands of both Phragmites and narrowleaf cattails was also made from the Marsh Master. A 100-gallon tank of glyphosate or imazapyr herbicide mixture outfitted on the Marsh Master allowed for treatment of these stands during the late summer to early fall when the plants were actively translocating nutrients from the leaves and stems to the roots in preparation for overwintering. If populations of targeted invasive species were observed mixed with desirable native species, the patch was identified for future management via selective herbicide application.
The timing of the project also had to consider the presence of the largest population of the state-endangered Blanding’s turtles in Illinois. When the summer heat dries out the wetland habitats they live in, they retreat to a deeper, more permanent marsh. By October, Blanding’s turtles seek refuge in a deep wetland for hibernation, protecting them from possible impacts.
The employment of the amphibious Marsh Master allowed ILM staff to move easily and efficiently through the property, resulting in Phragmites and cattail control finishing ahead of schedule. The remaining available hours were applied towards the winter removal of woody invasive species from the North Dunes Nature Preserve located within Illinois Beach State Park using ILM’s amphibious excavator fitted with a forestry mower head.