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<strong>Proceedings</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Third</strong> <strong>International</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Invasive SpartinaChapter 4: Spartina Control and ManagementDISCOVERY AND MANAGEMENT OF SPARTINA ANGLICA IN THE FRASER RIVER ESTUARY,BRITISH COLUMBIA,CANADAG. WILLIAMS 1 ,J.BAUMANN 2 ,D.BUFFETT 3 ,R.GOLDSTONE 4 ,V.KUCY 5 ,P.LIM 6 ,W.MATHER 7 ,K.MOORE 89, 10AND T. MURRAY1 GL Williams & Associates Ltd., 2907 Silver Lake Place Coquitlam, BC, V3C 6A2; glwill@telus.net2 Port Metro Vancouver, 100 The Pointe, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC, V6C 3T43 Ducks Unlimited Canada, Unit 511, 13370 - 78 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3W 0H64 Ministry <strong>of</strong> Environment, Parks & Protected Areas, PO Box 220, Brackendale, BC, V0N 1H05 The Corporation <strong>of</strong> Delta, 4500 Clarence Taylor Crescent, Delta, BC, V4K 3E26 Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Major Projects Review Unit, Habitat Enhancement Branch, Suite 200 – 401 Burrard Street,Vancouver, BC, V6C 3S47 Metro Vancouver Regional District, Regional Parks, 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 4G88 Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, R.R.1, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC V4K 3N29 Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, PO Box 3232, Vancouver, BC V6B 3X810 Current address: Greater Vancouver Invasive Plant Council, 6435 Marine Drive, Burnaby, BC V3N 2Y5Spartina anglica (English cordgrass) was discovered in August 2003, during intercauseway marshsurveys <strong>of</strong> Roberts Bank for a proposed Vancouver Port Authority (VPA) container terminalexpansion. This was a new species discovery for <strong>the</strong> estuary and <strong>the</strong> province <strong>of</strong> British Columbia,and a control program was immediately initiated by VPA. The control program involved collectingpreliminary data on <strong>the</strong> S. anglica infestation in September (measuring stalk density and height,conducting GPS surveys, GIS mapping) followed by manual removal in October. Spartina clones,measuring 3–4.5 meter (m) diameter, had an average stalk density <strong>of</strong> approximately 800 stalks persquare meter (m 2 ) and average height <strong>of</strong> 1 m, but most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> growth was in <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> seedlingsand small tussocks
Chapter 4: Spartina Control and Management<strong>Proceedings</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Third</strong> <strong>International</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Invasive Spartinaon <strong>the</strong> North Arm. The concentrated port activity includes aconstant movement <strong>of</strong> barges and ships through <strong>the</strong> estuary.S. anglica is <strong>of</strong> particular concern in <strong>the</strong> Fraser estuarybecause <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> known ecological impacts, includingconversion <strong>of</strong> mudflats to monoculture Spartina marshes(Gray et al. 1991; Huckle et al. 2000), displacement <strong>of</strong>waterbirds (Goss-Cutard and Moser 1988; Nairn 1986), fish(Sullivan 2001 cited in Anon. 2002; Dethier and Hacker2004), and invertebrates (Hedge and Kriwoken 2000;Jackson et al. 1985), accretion <strong>of</strong> sediment (Ranwell 1964;Gray 1991; Dethier and Hacker 2004), disruption <strong>of</strong> tidaldrainage patterns (Gray et al. 1991), and impacts on nativeintertidal marsh, eelgrass beds, and unvegetated habitats(Hedge and Kriwoken 2000; Hacker et al. 2001). Experiencein Washington State and elsewhere has shown that a quickresponse is required to avoid costly Spartina eradicationprograms. For example, $1.5 million was spent in 2003 totreat 6,000 ac <strong>of</strong> solid Spartina (70% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> infestation) inWillapa Bay and 694 solid ac (90% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> infestation) inPuget Sound (Murphy 2003). This paper summarizes <strong>the</strong>work undertaken in 2003 and 2004 in Roberts Bank andBoundary Bay and provides suggestions for fur<strong>the</strong>r work toeffectively control S. anglica in <strong>the</strong> Fraser River estuary.METHODS AND PROGRAM PLANNINGFig.1. Location <strong>of</strong> Fraser River estuary.The large tidal flats provide vast mudflat, eelgrass, andbrackish and salt marsh habitats for birds, fish and wildlife(Adams and Williams 2004; Harrison and Dunn 2004;Schaefer 2004). Over one million migratory birds use <strong>the</strong>outer delta for critical feeding and staging areas annually(Butler and Campbell 1987; Important Bird Area (IBA) SiteSummary, BC017, www.ibscanada.com; Pacific EstuaryConservation Program, www.ramsar.org). Numerous fishand invertebrate species utilize <strong>the</strong> flats, including Pacificsalmon and Dungeness crab that support importantcommercial, recreational, and First Nations fisheries (Hoosand Packmann 1974; Levings 2004). Much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> area isprotected within provincial Wildlife Management Areas, isrecognized as a nationally Important Bird Area, and exceeds<strong>the</strong> criteria for Ramsar and Western Hemisphere ShorebirdNetwork sites (Important Bird Area, IBA, Site Summary,BC017, www.ibacanada.com). The 586-hectare AlaskanNational Wildlife Area on Westham Island, adjacent toRoberts Bank, is a designated Ramsar site.Fraser River estuary is also a hub for domestic andinternational shipping with three port authorities: VPA’scontainer and bulk terminals at Roberts Bank, Fraser Port’scoastal and deep sea terminals on <strong>the</strong> Main Arm, and PortNorth Fraser’s coastal shipping and log booming facilities2003 VPA Spartina Control Program for Roberts BankFollowing discovery <strong>of</strong> S. anglica in Roberts Bank inAugust, GL Williams & Associates Ltd. was retained byVPA to establish a control program. Since <strong>the</strong> infestationwas limited in coverage and total area, <strong>the</strong> objective was tomanually remove <strong>the</strong> plants as quickly as possible without<strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> herbicide. The VPA control program consisted <strong>of</strong>confirming identification <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Roberts Bank Spartina,researching scientific literature to guide managementoptions, conducting field GPS/GIS mapping and datacollection, and undertaking plant removal.Plant IdentificationPlant specimens were collected, digital images obtained,and a web search conducted for information about S.anglica. The field identification manual prepared by <strong>the</strong>California Coastal Conservancy (www.spartina.org) wasespecially useful for preliminary identification and providingdescriptions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> five Spartina species found along <strong>the</strong>Pacific Coast. Several wetland specialists in BritishColumbia and Washington State were contacted forappropriate keys and information. The indentification <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>Roberts Bank specimens were confirmed using <strong>the</strong> Spartinakey developed by Barkworth (2003). Specimens were alsosubmitted to <strong>the</strong> Univeristy <strong>of</strong> British Columbia herbarium.Fresh S. anglica specimens from Roberts Bank andBoundary Bay were shipped to Dr. Debra Ayres, University<strong>of</strong> California at Davis, for DNA analysis (Ayres and Strong- 236 -
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FORWARD & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe <stro
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TABLE OF CONTENTSForward & Acknowle
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Community Spartina Education and St
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CHAPTER ONESpartina Biology
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Chapter 1: Spartina Biology
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