September 19, 2011
Alane Ball Chinian, (518) 584-2000, ext. 222
New York State Parks is launching a project this fall to eradicate an invasive weed from the shoreline of Moreau Lake. The target plant, phragmites, is a non-native plant sometimes called common reed. Originally from the Middle East, phragmites has spread rapidly across the northeast. Often seen in roadside ditches along local highways, this wetland plant has been spreading along the shores of Moreau Lake for several years and now covers more than 3.5 acres, obliterating views of the lake and diminishing the habitats for beaver, muskrat, and wading birds.
Phragmites typically grows in an impenetrable mass ten feet high or more. This dense, tall growth allows phragmites to crowd and shade out native vegetation that is more valuable to our local wildlife. The phragmites at Moreau Lake has been progressively spreading for a number of years and without treatment it will continue to spread until virtually all of the shoreline becomes ringed by phragmites.
Davey Tree Service has been contracted to professionally begin off-season applications of a water-safe herbicide that will eradicate phragmites in the three largest patches over the course of the next several years. This method of removal was carefully chosen using protocols established by NYS DEC, The Nature Conservancy, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Smaller patches around the lake are being treated with non-chemical means. Once the phragmites is under control, native plants will be brought in and planted along the shoreline to restore the native ecology of those areas.