| Project - Clark |
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Project: Clark
The site is wetland surrounded by agriculture on three sides and lowland woods to the south. The east half of the site was farmed periodically from the 30’s through the 80’s. It is now dominated by Reed Canary Grass (RCG). Dog wood, sedges and other native wetland forbes are present in the center. A series of small ditches run east west and north south draining the site to the SE. The site is fed by ground water and an artesian well is located in the north center portion of the site. The site floods seasonally as nearby creeks flood over their banks. In addition to the wetland plants present organic and hydric soils are also present. The goal is to restore the historic hydrology to the site prior to pre-settlement times and enhance the existing wetland. Objectives are to remove sediment accumulation from a few basins and redeposit it in adjacent uplands. By removing the RCG and its root mass native wetland plants will be able to reestablish themselves when the seed bank is exposed. By restoring the topography in the swale and ditches to prevent artificial drainage water will saturate the site for a longer period. Scrapes will be done in the monotypic RCG area’s to remove the invasive grass and expose the historic wetland soil, seed bank and diversify the wetland site. This project is located on Stilen Rd. ˝ mile west of Stilen and CTY W in the Town of Maple Creek. The site is about 6 miles north of New London between HWY 45 and CTY W. |
