Pool 18 Forestry
Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Project - Lower Pool 18 Forestry, Mississippi River between River Miles 434.8 - 420.2, IA/IL
Project Partners: Iowa Department of Natural Resources
About
Project overview
The Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Pool 18 Forestry Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project (HREP) is located in Pool 18 of the Upper Mississippi River near the towns of New Boston, Keithsburg, and Oquawka, Illinois, respectively. The Project area includes floodplain forest habitat and shrub/scrub wetlands of the Iowa River Delta, Blackhawk Island, and Johnson Island located entirely on Federal lands managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IADNR). These areas have been recognized for their high diversity of mast tree species, including the largest population of Kentucky coffeetree in Iowa, as well as diverse wetland habitats which provide food and shelter for a variety of wildlife species.
Human activity over the past two centuries within the Upper Mississippi River basin has altered the hydrology, aquatic and floodplain habitat, and ecological communities that are dependent on the River. These alterations have led to an overall degradation of forest habitat throughout the Upper Mississippi River basin generally characterized by even-aged forests with very low species diversity, very little tree regeneration, and increasing encroachment of invasive species colonizing forest canopy gaps. Recent historic flood events have also caused widespread sudden forest mortality events exacerbating the establishment of invasive species which further suppresses natural forest regeneration.
Without restoration, important floodplain forest ecosystems in Pool 18 will continue to degrade. Forest health and tree species diversity will continue to decline, gaps in the forest canopy will continue to be colonized by invasive species, and natural forest succession will be limited.
Please click the project boundary on the map for more information.
Objectives
Restore forest diversity based on species richness and age class.
The relatively diverse pre-settlement floodplain forest consisting of hackberry, pecan, elm, willow, and cottonwood is now largely dominated by silver maple. Timber Stand Improvements will use various techniques to enhance the structure and health of the existing forests, such as plantings of native hard mast trees, removal of invasive plant species that outcompete native plants, and canopy thinning to support healthy forest structure and regeneration.
Increase area and vegetation diversity of seasonal wetlands and their transitional zones.
Seasonal forested wetlands hold water for short periods during the year and as a result, they contain a large and diverse array of plants many animal species depend upon for food and shelter. Restoration of these seasonally flooded areas would provide enhanced forage and shelter opportunities for salamanders, frogs, wood ducks, songbirds, beaver, muskrats, raccoons, deer, turkey, and many more.
Improve forest understory based on amount and diversity of vegetation.
The current silver-maple dominated floodplain forest supports only a small number of herbaceous plant species, such as stinging nettle, poison ivy, and invasive species like reed canary grass and Japanese hops, while sustainable regeneration of tree and shrub species are extremely limited. Removal of invasive species, supplemental planing and seeding of desirable understory vegetation, and canopy thinning will enhance overall forest understory health and diversity while providing increased forage and shelter diversity for animal species.
