Detroit River – Western Lake Erie CWMA

In 2011, a spectrum of public and private partners established a Cooperative Weed Management Area and a Phragmites Strike Team to coordinate efforts to address the threat of Phragmites and share resources for controlling the invasive plant. The CWMA partners are collaborating to eradicate invasive Phragmites australis in coastal wetlands within the western Lake Erie basin, from the Detroit River to northern Maumee Bay. Initial treatments have involved herbicide application, mowing, and controlled burns. This invasive species project is unique in that the partners have established a mechanism for long-term eradication after initial control through the use of a Marsh Master amphibious vehicle. The Marsh Master vehicle will allow follow-up treatments with mowing, herbicide, and controlled burns. A large-scale, cooperative, and sustained approach to Phragmites treatment in this region will add wetland resources where millions of people live and bring back whole plant and animal communities and functioning wetlands once again.

The Detroit River – Western Lake Erie CWMA covers Monroe and Wayne Counties in Michigan.

Partners

BASF Corporation
DTE Energy
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
Eastern Michigan University
Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority
International Wildlife Refuge Alliance
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Monroe Conservation District
Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
Stewardship Network
The Nature Conservancy in Michigan
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
Wildlife Habitat Council