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Utah Lake crews say phragmites removal has reclaimed large stretches of shoreline
Summary
Utah Lake Authority staff report years-long work has removed roughly 70% of phragmites around the lake, with Forestry, Fire and State Lands' mapping suggesting progress may be near 80% in some measures; treatment uses aquatic herbicide, fall mowing, and repeated cycles.
Savannah, the Utah Lake Authority’s conservation technician this summer, described phragmites as a dominant invasive that forms "big walls" along the shoreline and said crews have removed "about 70%" of that coverage through long-running treatments.
She outlined the treatment sequence used along the shoreline: an aquatic herbicide designed to reach the plant’s root system, followed by mowing or crushing in the late season, and multiple cycles repeated over roughly three years to reduce regrowth. Sam, the Authority’s moderator, added that the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands’ mapping work suggests removal progress in some measures "might be approaching 80." The hosts emphasized that persistent, repeated treatment is required because phragmites regrow from root systems.
The segment attributed funding for removal and monitoring to the Division of Wildlife Resources’ Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI) and to participating agency budgets. No specific dollar amounts or mapping reports were cited during the episode; listeners were advised to contact Forestry, Fire and State Lands or the Utah Lake Authority for detailed maps or financial figures.
