WISCONSIN – (August 6, 2024) – Audubon Great Lakes, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), is excited to announce the commencement of a major wetland restoration project in Allouez Bay. The project aims to restore the area’s natural habitat by reducing invasive cattails and promoting the growth of native plants, diversifying the wetland to create a better environment for birds and other wildlife and improve wetland conditions for continued public use. 

Starting this week, the restoration efforts will kick off with the mowing and hand-cutting of invasive cattails in selected areas of the marsh totaling approximately seven acres. This critical work will take place over several days and is timed to maximize the effectiveness of removing the invasive cattails and avoid the peak of bird nesting season.  The primary objective of this cutting is to give native species, such as wild rice, bur reed, arrowhead, and sedges, the opportunity to recolonize the area, thereby improving the habitat for a variety of bird and wildlife species.  

“Invasive cattails have been inundating significant portions of the high-quality marsh, outcompeting native plants, and degrading bird habitats,” Tom Prestby, Conservation Manager at Audubon Great Lakes stated. “Our goal with this project is to restore a healthier balance by removing selected stands of invasive cattail that are threatening to further overtake high-quality wetland habitat, which will allow native plants to recolonize and provide better habitat for marsh birds, including the Virginia Rail, Sora, American Bittern, and Swamp Sparrow, as well as migratory shorebirds and waterfowl.” 

“This project is a crucial step in our ongoing efforts to protect and restore vital wetlands habitats in the Great Lakes region,” said Andy Hinickle, Senior Manager of Wetland Conservation at Audubon Great Lakes. “By removing invasive cattails and supporting native vegetation, we are enhancing the resilience of these ecosystems and providing essential habitat for a variety of species.  

 While most of the cattail debris will be removed to allow sunlight to reach the native seed bank, some clippings will be left behind and will biodegrade naturally over time. Some species, including Black Tern, use this left-over cattail habitat for nesting and others such as rails and migratory shorebirds use it for foraging. 

The WDNR, co-managing this project with Audubon Great Lakes, is working with dedicated partners to ensure the success of the restoration efforts. “This collaboration exemplifies our shared commitment to preserving and enhancing Wisconsin’s natural resources,” said Dave Grandmaison, WDNR’s St. Louis River Wild Rice Restoration & Habitat Project Coordinator. “By working together, we can achieve more impactful and sustainable outcomes for our wetlands and the species that depend on them.” 

Great Lakes populations of breeding marsh birds have declined significantly over the past 30 years, with some species having exhibited overall declines of 80 percent. Black Terns, once common in Allouez Bay, have not bred in the St. Louis River Estuary since the 1990s.  

The St. Louis River Estuary region, where Allouez Bay is located, has been identified by Audubon scientists as one of the 12 most important coastal wetland regions across the Great Lakes that are critical to conserve or restore for vulnerable marsh birds. Breeding marsh bird species include American Bittern, Least Bittern, Black Tern, and Yellow-headed Blackbird, all of which are Wisconsin Species of Greatest Conservation Need.  

“These marsh birds depend on a unique habitat complex commonly referred to as hemi-marsh, a combination of pockets of emergent vegetation and pockets of open water, which has been drastically reduced across the Great Lakes region in parallel with population declines of these species,” added Prestby. “On this project we will be utilizing pre-restoration and post-restoration breeding marsh bird and vegetation surveys to evaluate the success of these cattail treatments.” 

Ongoing restoration work in 2024 and 2025 will include the continued removal of invasive cattail, seeding and planting native species, and increasing interspersion of open water pockets in late fall of 2024. Longer-term restoration at the site will potentially involve additional depth contouring or island creation that will support resiliency to rapidly changing water levels and increased storm activity, and create additional habitat and protect the existing wetland. Ecological restoration will coincide with improvements to the site that benefit recreationists such as fisherfolk, hunters, gatherers, and boaters. 

This project is funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and to learn more about the project and partners learn here: https://gl.audubon.org/coastal-wetlands/priority-region-st-louis-river-estuary 

About Audubon Great Lakes  
Audubon Great Lakes is a regional office of Audubon, learn more at gl.audubon.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.   

The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive.  

 Media Contact: Nicole Minadeo, nicole.minadeo@audubon.org, 419-308-4846