Utahns tackling phragmite mess

FARMINGTON — Most people who deal with phragmites know the plant is a problem: It has invaded Utah's northern marshes and chokes out native vegetation along the Great Salt Lake shores.

Phragmites australis, or common reed, is an ornamental plant that grows up to 14 feet. Despite its lush appearance, it has no food value and offers no cover for waterfowl. It grows in stands so thick that birds can't nest in it.

David Turner, a hunter and member of the Utah Airboat Association, said Monday that marshes where hunters used to go have now been overrun by phragmites. Some of those areas last year were shallow 40- to 50-acre ponds. And now they're gone.

"If you lose the habitat, you lose the food chain," Turner said.

The Division of Wildlife Resources has a 15-year plan to get rid of the plant in Farmington and Ogden bays, and began work this past August. But a group of state officials and concerned residents hopes to step up the pace before phrag, as they often call it, does irreparable damage to the ecosystem around the Great Salt Lake.

The group of state officials and residents attended a summit on phragmites Monday at the Historic Davis County Courthouse, to work on developing a plan to control phragmites in five years. The group included hunters; Davis County officials; Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield; employees in the state's Natural Resources and Agriculture departments; weed experts and conservationists.

"If we can stay on top, we can make some things happen," said Davis County Commissioner Alan Hansen, who attended the summit.

The group hopes to get support from the Utah Legislature in 2007 and wants to pursue federal grants to get the necessary money to fight phrag.

The planning meetings are important, Turner said, because no one has coordinated efforts in the Davis County area to combat phragmites growth.

Participants in the summit Monday learned that the 2006 Legislature gave the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources $200,000 to spray phragmites stands in Farmington and Ogden bays this year. They were also told that the Utah Waterfowl Association is trying to get hunting fees increased for more phrag-fighting funding. And they learned that Cornell University researchers are testing whether insects can be released to control phragmites, a method that has been used in Europe with success.

The group left Monday's meeting after designating a committee to do further research and meet with state officials to look at funding options.

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E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com