Project Summary
This report is a summary of work completed to date and will be updated (see the Construction Updates section below) as additional tasks are completed. Information compiled in this report will be used to demonstrate work completed for purposes of wetland credit certification as well as to document contractor work accomplishments.
There are two construction contracts for the restoration project:
Both contracts are on schedule and budget.
Construction Progress
Vegetation Management
Sodko, the site preparation, vegetation management and revegetation contractor has been on-site throughout the spring, summer and fall. Sodko’s subcontractor, Minnesota Native Landscapes has applied herbicide, burned, mowed and disced the site. Contract work completed to date includes:
- Herbicide Treatment #1: On May 25 herbicide was sprayed on the site using a helicopter. The treatment was very effective. Areas under the trees and the sedge meadow were not sprayed. Herbicide was applied under the trees using a tractor at a later date.
- Prescribed Burn #1: Carried out June 15. The majority of the site burned quite well removing much of the thatch. Areas excluded from the burn included the sedge meadow and under some of the trees.
- Prescribed Burn #2 / Mowing: A burn was carried out on July 28 for areas that did not burn well under burn #1. The sedge meadow was mowed as well as areas containing weedy species such as thistle and velvetleaf.
- Herbicide Treatment #2: A grass selective herbicide was used on August 25. The grass selective herbicide did a fair job of knocking back the reed canary grass and did not affect the forbs. This type of herbicide did not kill as thoroughly as the nonselective type. This photo was taken on September 21, about one month after the herbicide treatment.
- Prescribed Burn #3: This burn was scheduled for fall of 2000. A fire ban for early fall and wet conditions in late fall prohibited burn #3. Very little fuel (standing vegetation) was on the site and the effectiveness of a fall burn was in question. If necessary contract dollars not spent on burn #3 may be used for additional maintenance.
- Discing: Discing was completed on November 17 & 18 and included the entire site excluding wooded areas and the sedge meadow. The purpose of the discing is to freeze reed canary grass rhizomes and to induce germination of viable reed canary grass seed. All residual reed canary grass seed that germinates in the spring will be treated with herbicide.
- Seed mix renegotiation: The seed mixes have been slightly modified to increase biological diversity on the site. Many native forb species present on the site responded well to the treatments thus far. Species such as blue vervain, joe pye weed, boneset and marsh milkweed were removed from the original seed mix and replaced with equal values of other native forbs and grasses.
- Brush and Buckthorn Removal: In early September, Bill Carlson was hired to remove buckthorn from the oak savanna island. Bill and his son cut the buckthorn and treated the stumps with herbicide. This work was originally included in the Sodko contract but was removed because of high labor costs.
Excavation
Doboszenski started with tree clearing in December of 2000. Areas where trees were removed included the access road in the southwest corner of the site and areas where new wetland credit is to be created. Trees removed included small diameter box elder, willow and elm. Larger trees to be used for snags in the wetland were salvaged. Haul roads were plowed in the wetland with the intent to develop enough frost to support large equipment. Pond excavation is scheduled to begin in January.
Following excavation work Sodko will continue vegetation management in the spring of 2001. Maintenance will continue through the fall of 2002.
Construction Contracts
Sodko has submitted one pay request for $14,364. The remaining budget for Sodko’s contract is $104,722.00. Currently the contract is slightly under budget.
Doboszenski has submitted two pay requests. One was for a materials on-hand payment for the culverts and the other for mobilization and tree clearing. Payments to date for Doboszenski total $14,077. The remaining budget for Doboszenski’s contract is $71,426.00. This contract is on budget.
Construction Updates
February 2, 2001
During the summer and fall of 2000, major work on invasive species control was completed though a regimen of herbicide treatment, prescribed burns, mowing and discing. These treatments had a significant positive impact with a marked increase in species diversity. In particular, the wetland, which prior to the start of the project was a reed canary monotype, exhibited a high level of native forb recruitment (joe pye weed, swamp milkweed, blue vervain and boneset) As a result, the seeding mix will be revised.
Over the past month, the Excavating Contractor has been working in shallow wetland ponds removing shallow drainage ditches and scalping invasive reed canary sod from the site. They have also cut and set aside twelve large trees that will be placed at various points in the restored wetland to provide wildlife habitat structure for nesting, perching and basking. At this point, approximately 75% of excavation work is complete. It is expected that the balance of the work will be completed within the next couple of weeks.
The next phase of the project will commence this spring with native tree, shrub, grass and forbs scheduled to be planted and seeded.
March 1, 2001
Painter's Creek Wetland Restoration: Grading is complete and we are waiting for spring (snow melt, etc.) to begin the re-vegetation phase.