Invasive Phragmites removed from Buzzards Bay salt ponds in Dartmouth and Falmouth [PHOTOS]
Three years ago, residents near Salters Pond in Dartmouth and Flume Pond and Gunning Point Pond in Falmouth were grappling with a major problem: how to manage Phragmites, an invasive weed taking over marshes all around Buzzards Bay.
The Coalition has spent these past three years working with natural resource experts to drastically reduce Phragmites from the marshes around these three salt ponds. Today, the ponds are nearly free of Phragmites, allowing native species to thrive once again.
BEFORE: Three years ago, Salters Pond in Dartmouth looked like this: thick stands of Phragmites growing in the salt marsh, crowding out native plants and animals.
AFTER: The scene at Salters Pond looks much different now. Dense Phragmites are now gone, and native marsh plants are growing back in.
BEFORE: At Salters Pond, Phragmites had overtaken much of the marsh habitat fringing the shore. It grew so thickly and uniformly that no other plants could compete.
AFTER: After a three-year process to remove Phragmites, the pond’s shoreline is now mostly free from this invasive plant. The last remaining stalks are being spot-treated to remove as much as possible.
This Phragmites removal project is an excellent model that can be applied all around the Bay’s coastline to tackle invasive plants and restore wetlands.