Natural System and Location: Fen, Southern Floodplain, River Raisin, located in SE Lower MI.
Hypothesis/Goal: Hydrology of fen disrupted by ditches and tile lines in late 1940's; this disruption along with fire suppression allowed alien weed invasion and reduction in fen community and associated rare plants and animals. Removal of aliens, filling in ditches and removing tile lines, and reintroducing fire will allow expansion of fen.
Restoration Strategy: Hydrological flow and fen vegetation will be restored by reversing the original disturbance. This sequence will include:
Collecting water level data before filling ditch
Cutting and stump-treating with herbicide all adult shrubs along ditches/tile lines
Burning brush piles
Spot-burning buckthorn seedlings
Digging out tile lines
Placement of sandbag barriers for water diversion
Use of heavy equipment to fill-in ditch and "grade" near-ditch area
Placement of silt fences
Native fen plant seed collection and seeding of filled and graded areas
Post-filling invasives removal
Post-monitoring
Broadcast prescribed fire over entire restored area
Progress to Date: Drain tiles at the Ives Road Fen will be broken to reduce groundwater drainage and restore natural groundwater hydrology. Project temporarily delayed until research completed on potential impacts to endangered Massagua rattlesnake.
School of Natural Resources and Environment
Dana Building
430 East University
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1115 riverflows@snre.umich.edu
