Habitat Council approves expanded phragmites control around Great Salt Lake, seeks complementary funding
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Summary
The Habitat Council approved a long-running Phragmites control project that aims to cut invasive reed cover, restore native marsh, and reduce wildfire risk across multiple WMAs around the Great Salt Lake. The division asked the council for a $20,000 contribution and outlined larger state and federal funding applications.
Eric Hedgley, Habitat Section Chief for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, opened the council’s annual waterfowl-focused meeting and framed the day’s business. Chad Cranny, manager of Salt Creek and Locomotive Springs public shooting grounds, presented a multi‑WMA Phragmites control proposal that spans eight WMAs and includes sites on the Bear River Bird Refuge.
Cranny described a three‑part, three‑year treatment cycle that combines aerial herbicide applications, removal of standing dead biomass by burning or mowing, and two or more years of targeted spot treatments to exhaust dense Phragmites rhizomes. He said the goals are to reduce Phragmites cover to less than 20 percent, re‑establish native marsh vegetation, improve water quality and wildlife use, and decrease wildfire threat. Cranny told the council the Division and partners treated roughly 2,200 aerial acres and 3,500 ground acres last year and requested $572,000 for division herbicide and treatment work in FY27, plus $30,000 for counties and $10,000 for Utah State University contributions.
Council members questioned how the work relates to other Great Salt Lake funding. Cranny said prior research (largely greenhouse studies) estimated that Phragmites around the lake could be consuming on the order of 70,000 acre‑feet of water, but cautioned the division will not save that full amount by treatment because native vegetation also transpires water. He noted the division has sought $2 million over three years from the Great Salt Lake water delivery program and that outcomes of that request would reduce the Habitat Council amount if awarded.
Members also probed whether Habitat Council accounting allows shifting portions of the request into nongame funds for shorebird benefits. Eric Hedgley explained that the council’s accounting categories are limited (sport fish, waterfowl, upland, big game) and that a future reallocation from other species protection accounts may be possible, but the FY27 ask will remain waterfowl‑centered. After discussion, Jason Jones moved to approve the project and Jeremiah Cornia seconded. The council approved the proposal by voice vote.
Next steps: the division will pursue the larger Great Salt Lake funding application and report back on any offsets; the council’s contribution will be recorded in the Habitat Council fund for FY27.