Flowering Blue Gramma (Bouteloua gracilis)

Successful Restoration of a Mixed-Grass Prairie... Even in a Drought

In spite of the severe drought in 2002, a 3-acre mixed grass prairie restoration project was very successful.  The area was seeded in late April at the beginning of the drought but before its severity was known.  In the most severe drought in 130 years including 13 straight months of below average precipitation (August 2001 – August 2002), good stands of three warm season grasses, Blue Grama, Sideoats Grama and Little Bluestem, were established.

The keys to the success of this native prairie restoration are outlined as follows.  The herbicide HiDep was applied on the site for Diffuse Knapweed and other cool season weeds once in the spring of 2000 and 2001 by the Natural Open Space Crew.  Follow up weed control was conducted by the South Platte Park Staff later in the growing seasons of 2000 and 2001. This was to control other weeds including Common Mullen, Leafy Spurge, and fall rosettes of Scotch Thistle among others.  The only major problem weed persisting on the site after the 2001growing season was Cheatgrass, a cool season winter annual grass.  To eliminate competition from this non-native grass several management actions were conducted.  First, after the Cheatgrass had germinated in the fall the area was chiseled by the Natural Open Space Crew and allowed to winter fallow.  Second, cheat grass seedlings that germinated in the spring were sprayed by South Platte Park Staff with a low rate of Plateau herbicide.  Lastly, in late April of 2002 the area was drill seeded at a rate of 8.5 PLS (Pure Live Seed) pounds per acre with a diverse mix of native warm and cool season grasses.  The combination of these techniques of eliminating the weed competition, seeding at a low rate to reduce competition among desirable grasses, and selecting native drought tolerate species made for a successful first growing season of this ecological restoration project.

Raymond H. Sperger, Resource Specialist

South Platte Park
South Suburban Parks and Recreation
3000 W. Carson Drive
Littleton, CO 80120-2968

303-730-1022 ext. 12
303-730-0282 (fax)
rays@ssprd.org

Profile posted on: September 2, 2005