2000: The sites were salvage logged and during the spring 2000. Volumes harvested in the area is shown in the table below:
|
Species
|
MBF
|
|
Cottonwood
|
113.6
|
|
Silver maple
|
19.0
|
|
Black willow
|
5.1
|
|
Green ash
|
2.8
|
|
Total
|
137.9
|
Slash was piled and the sites scarified with a D-6 Cat. The site preparatory work was timed to provide exposed mineral soil conditions just prior to seed fall and promote natural regeneration of various floodplain forest species. However, the sites quickly became dominated by reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinecea), which threatened the survival of the new tree seedlings.
Arsenal (imazapyr, EPA reg. no. 241-346) and Vantage (sethoxydim, EPA Reg. No. 7969-88-829) were applied on 18 May 2000 at 3 oz. and 24 oz. per acre rates respectively with 30 gallons of water in order to control herbaceous (primarily reed canary grass) competition. A follow-up treatment was applied on 19 July 2000 with Vantage only at 24 oz. per acre. Arsenal was applied in the first treatment as data at the time indicated that good control of reed canary grass could be achieved with that herbicide.
2001: Due to high water conditions in 2001, no spring applications of herbicide could be made. An application of Vantage was made at three pints per acre and 40 gallons of water in August of 2001.
2002: Treatment was not possible in 2002 due to intermittent high water throughout the growing season.
2003: High water in 2003 once again prevented treatment at the optimal early spring timeframe. An experimental application of Plateau (ammonium salt of imazapic, EPA reg. no. 241-365) only was applied in a small area of compartment 3 only on July 1, 2003 at a rate of 12 oz per acre. While complete kill was not achieved, the reed canary grass was stressed and stem densities were reduced. The use of Plateau in floodplain sites will likely be limited, however, due to the potential for leaching through coarse-grained soils (e.g. alluvial sands) common in floodplains. Soils at this site are fine grained and leaching into groundwater is not likely.
2004: On May 3, 2004, Plateau was applied to approximately 2 acres as an experiment. The trees were leafing-out already by the time that spring high water receded enough to spray and it was thought that an experiment would be in order to determine exactly what effects, if any, Plateau applied at a rate of 12 oz./acre would have on the tree seedlings. Vantage was applied at a rate of 48 oz./acre to a total of approximately 2.3 acres, since Vantage will not harm the tree species of interest at any stage. The problem at this site is that in order for Vantage to be effective, reed canary grass must be treated early in the season when new growth is short. This is usually not possible due to spring high water at the site.
2006: On July 21, 2006 the site was visited by a multi-agency group attending a forestry coordination meeting. It was the consensus of the group that natural regeneration was not sufficient in places, especially on the northern sections where herbicide treatment was not possible due to numerous slash piles. The group recommended that additional actions be taken in an effort to facilitate regeneration.
In early November 2006 a FECON® mower was used within Compartment to clear areas where regeneration was non-existent or inadequate. The total area treated was approximately 3.3 acres. The mower chopped slash and broke ground to prepare a seedbed for bottomland hardwood regeneration. Inadequate site preparation was achieved in some areas and a local farmer with a Lely Rotera® tiller was contracted with to further scarify the site. On November 9, 2006, the site was treated with one of the following four pre-emergent herbicide treatments:
- ½ ounce Oust® (sulfometuron methyl, EPA reg. no. 432-1552) and 3 quarts of Pendulum® (pendimethalin, EPA reg. no. 241-416) per acre,
- 1 ounce Oust and 3 quarts of Pendulum per acre,
- ½ ounce Oust per acre,
- 1 ounce Oust per acre.
The four scenarios were designed in order to answer questions regarding whether amounts of Oust exceeding ½ ounce per acre will inhibit bottomland hardwood germination. Pendulum was used to augment Oust activity because of concerns that that low rates of Oust may not be sufficient to control reed canary grass.
On 17 November 2006 approximately 2 1/2 to 3 bushels of green and black ash seed were hand broadcast on the site. Areas furthest from the woods were given priority.
2007: During the spring 2007, an attempt was made to supplement natural seed fall with seed collected by Corps of Engineers personnel. Unfortunately, cottonwood and silver maple seed was practically non-existent. A grocery bag of river birch (Betula nigra) was scattered over the site on 5 June 2007.
On 4 June 2007 Sethoxydim G-Pro (sethoxydim, EPA reg. no. 79676-4) was applied in select areas that appeared to have been missed in 2006. The reed canary grass in these areas greened-up early and grew vigorously, in comparison to adjacent areas where there was no sign of reed canary grass.
The reed canary grass that was treated in June seemed to respond well to the treatment and browned fairly quickly. Unfortunately by the middle of July most of the site had some reed canary grass. On 27 July 2007 sethoxydim was applied to the entire site for reed canary grass and transline was used in the far south polygon to treat thistle.
On 8 November 2007 the entire site was treated with various combinations of Oust® and Pendulum as was done in fall 2006. In addition to this, glyphosate was applied to some of the area at a range from 1-2 quarts per acre a total cost of $396.81.
2008: On 10 April 2008 several thousand cuttings of red osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera), black willow (Salix nigra), and sandbar willow (Salix interior) were planted. The willow seemed to grow well in all treatment areas while the dogwood did not appear to do well.
On 27 May 2008, approximately 65,000 Dutch elm disease tolerant American elm (Ulmus americana) seeds were broadcast on the site. This was followed by a month long flood that may have contributed to the almost complete failure of these seeds to germinate on the site.
On 2 June 2008 approximately 1.5 bushels of silver maple seeds were broadcast on the site.
On 5 June 2008 another 1.5 bushels of silver maple seeds were broadcast on the site.
On 23 July 2008 woody regeneration surveys were conducted throughout site. Results showed an average of 97,400 stems per acre for all the treated areas and 26,100 stems per acre in the controls.
On 28 July 08 the site was spot treated for thistle with the herbicide Milestone® (aminopyralid, EPA reg. no. 62719-519).
On 20 November 08 the entire site was treated with various combinations of Oust® and Pendulum® as was done in fall 2006 and 2007. Although desired, glyphosate was not applied since the tree seedlings did not senesce until the grass was almost completely dead.
2009: For growing season control of reed canary grass at WKTY, the herbicide Intensity® (clethodim, EPA Reg. No. 34704-864
On April 30, 2009, Corps of Engineers staff and volunteers planted willow cuttings on the NW half of the site.
On May 27, 2009, Corps of Engineers summer staff direct seeded disease-tolerant American elm seed on the SE half of the site.
In June 2009 there were two applications of the herbicide Intensity (clethodim, EPA Reg. No. 34704-864). The actual rates are not directly documented for the site, though the initial prescription called for application across on the entire site at a rate of 1.5 oz per gallon. Herbicide application summaries for 2009 do indicate that 0.12 gallons of Intensity were sprayed on Corps of Engineer land in the St. Paul District, so it is most likely that it was applied.
2010-2012: There were no recorded treatments on the site for this period.