DESCRIPTION
This project will restore approximately 10 acres of riparian forest habitat along South Prairie Creek, in areas previously infested with Japanese knotweed. In addition the project will refine existing GIS data related to presence of knotweed throughout the basin, and work crews will work to bring an additional 30 acres of knotweed into a 'controlled' status.
South Prairie Creek and its tributaries are important spawning and rearing reaches for Chinook, Coho and Pink salmon; as well as Steelhead and Searun cutthroat trout. The basin's riparian areas at the start of this project were severely infested with knotweed species which significantly degrade habitat for fish along the stream, as well as degrade water quality generally. The goal of this project was to increase the amount of fully functioning riparian habitat in South Prairie Creek in order to increase quantity and quality of Puyallup River salmon runs. This project succeeded in this goal.
Pierce Conservation District used funding to continue work to inventory and eradicate invasive knotweed species from South Prairie Creek and its tributaries. The plan was to complete surveys of the aforementioned basin, continue to eradicate all knotweed found in the basin beginning at the farthest upstream occurrence, and reestablish native riparian vegetation where necessary. In 2014, the sponsor planned and facilitated a native plant installation funded by the Puyallup Tribe and located on their property adjacent to Wilkeson Creek, successfully revegetating 2.85 acres previously infested with knotweed. In the 2014 field season, the sponsor surveyed and treated an undocumented amount of acres and stream miles occurring on South Prairie Creek and its tributary Wilkeson Creek in the area between the Southern limits of the Town of Wilkeson and the confluence of South Prairie Creek and the Carbon River. In the winter of 2015, the sponsor revegetated 1.85 acres on two adjacent properties (Wilson and Strickland properties) which were previously infested with knotweed. During the 2015 treatment season, the sponsor surveyed and treated an estimated footprint of 87.5 acres across 29 parcels within the defined focus area. In 2016, the sponsor surveyed and treated within a riparian footprint of 293 acres across 18.5 stream miles and 94 parcels, resulting in treatment of approximately 88 acres of knotweed. In 2017, the sponsor requested and received a time extension through July to allow for an additional treatment season. This season's riparian footprint was 387 acres along 19.2 stream miles and 181 parcels, resulting in treatment of approximately 97 acres of knotweed. We estimate that at least 60 of these acres previously infested with knotweed have now reached "'controlled" status.
Over the life of this project, 60 acres of knotweed were brought into a controlled status; over a footprint of 261 parcels, 387 acres and 19.2 stream miles.
It is important to maintain this progress, and the sponsor plans to continue this project on a smaller-scale using District and other grant funds through 2020. Maintenance on treated knotweed as well as outreach to new and/or hold-out landowners in the basin (to address new or remaining monocultures) will be performed.