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Phragmites in
South Carolina
Phragmite s
is a emersed perennial plant that can reach 10 - 12 feet in height and
shade out shorter native vegetation. It can grow along the shorelines
of water bodies or in water several feet deep. In South Carolina, it
is restricted to the outer coastal plain where it occurs in fresh,
brackish and salt marshes and along streams, rivers and estuaries.
This plant is a native of the US and is normally not problematic.
However, there is an introduced European genotype of the plant which
is highly invasive. Recent research has shown that both native and
introduced species of Phragmites currently exist in North America.
For further information about how to distinguish between the two
genotypes follow this link;
http://www.invasiveplants.net/phragmites/.
Identification:
Leaves grow alternately and are two-ranked, flat, long-attenuate up to
1 1/2 feet long and 1/2 inch wide. They are blue-green in color with
rough margins. The leafy
stem
is topped by a 1 foot long silvery brown silky panicle of flowers
(shown in inset). It is capable of reproduction by seeds, but spreads
primarily by underground stems called rhizomes. Growth patterns are
very dense and can "crowd" out native plants which causes major
ecological problems.
Phragmites infestations have impacted shallow water habitat in the
Winyah Bay/Santee Delta area for over three decades. The S.C.
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has battled Phragmites in its
waterfowl impoundments for most of that time with limited success, but
the release of a new and more effective herbicide has encouraged the
agency to increase control efforts.
2007 marked an important phase
of phragmites control in the Santee Coastal WMA: local managers
should now have gained the upper hand with an additional 714 acres
spayed on Santee Coastal. Additional control should only be
maintenance work with aerial work several years apart. Yawkey
continues treatment with several problem areas which remains
persistent throughout treatment. Those areas may have to be
dried out before completely effective control is attained.
2008 showed a measurable reduction in phragmites and significantly reduced treatment efforts. Based on input from agency managers and regional and county planners the focus in 2008 remained on phragmites control in coastal South Carolina. To improve the general operations efficacy, phragmites work was coordinated with the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and several county entities to include several SCDNR wildlife management areas and National Wildlife Refuges including Donnelley/Bear Island WMA, ACE Basin Refuge, Santee Coastal Reserve, Yawkey Wildlife Center, Santee Delta WMA, and Samworth WMA and locally impacted sites. The main purpose of which was to provide increased habitat opportunities for waterfowl and reclaim other important areas. 748 acres were treated at a cost of $110,039. That represents a 64% decrease in acreage from 2005’s high of 2083 acres and a decrease of 10% from the planned acreage for 2008(827 acres). Funding has been secured for additional phragmites work in the Intracoastal Waterway from Georgetown to Charleston and also in Charleston Harbor (250 acres). The phragmites invasion of coastal South Carolina has been slowed and additional work needs to be continued in future years.
For more information on previous years (2005-2006)
Specific
treatment sites and maps are listed in the interactive table below.
**Maps require either
Adobe
Acrobat Reader or
Google
Earth installed depending on selection.
| 2008 Phragmites Control
Operations |
| Location |
PDF Maps |
|
|
Acres |
Costs |
| Santee Coastal |
 |
|
|
400 |
$60,400 |
| Santee Delta |
 |
|
|
70 |
$9,396 |
| Baruch |
 |
|
|
70 |
$9,396 |
Charleston Harbor
NWS |
NO
MAP |
|
|
115 |
$16,386 |
| Samworth |
 |
|
|
10 |
$1,348 |
| ACE Basin |
 |
|
|
10 |
$1,510 |
| Caw Caw Natural Area |
 |
|
|
7 |
$767 |
| Cape Island |
 |
|
|
15 |
$2,565 |
| Georgetown Parks |
 |
|
|
51 |
$8,271 |
|
TOTAL |
|
|
|
748 |
$110,039 |
| Private landowners |
NO
MAP |
|
|
No Final
Info |
No Final
Info |
|
2007 Phragmites Control
Operations |
| Location |
PDF Maps |
|
Open in Google Earth |
Acres |
Costs |
|
Santee Coastal |
 |
|
 |
714 |
$120,230 |
|
Tom Yawkey |
 |
|
 |
120 |
$20,866 |
|
Baruch |
 |
|
 |
100 |
$17,388 |
Charleston Harbor
NWS |
NO
MAP |
|
NO
MAP |
156 |
$31,472 |
Charleston Harbor
USACE |
 |
|
 |
282 |
$57,720 |
Intracoastal
waterway
USACE
(Georgetown
to Charleston) |
 |
|

North

South |
295 |
$59,996 |
|
Samworth |
 |
|
 |
9 |
$1,565 |
|
ACE Basin |
 |
|
 |
36 |
$7,362 |
|
Caw Caw Natural Area |
 |
|
 |
17 |
$3,477 |
|
Others |
NO
MAP |
|
NO
MAP |
9 |
$1,175 |
|
TOTAL |
|
|
|
1,738 |
$321,251 |
|
Private landowners |
NO
MAP |
|
|
No Final
Info |
No Final
Info |
Winyah Bay
Invasive Species
Phragmites Cost Share
Information!
Phragmites fact sheet
(8.5 x 11 high resolution)
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