Use of Prairie Seed Mixes
in Grassed Waterways and Buffers

Research was conducted into the practicality of using a prairie seed mix in place of traditional grass seed mixes used to establish grassed waterways and buffers on farmland. Three documents entitled Using Native Tallgrass Prairie Species In Grassed Waterways & Buffer Strips were produced - a final report, a landowner's manual and a pamphlet for public distribution. The later two documents are aimed at introducing the landowner to tallgrass prairie, the benefits of using tallgrass prairie in grassed waterways and buffer strips and providing answers to farmers' concerns regarding this concept. This research has set the stage for a prairie grassed waterway demonstration project by Rural Lambton Stewardship Network (RLSN) on Conservation Authority property.

In an area that is predominantly privately-owned, obtaining landowner consent is a key step in implementing restoration works. The landowner manual produced, together with RLSN's demonstration project, will set the stage for similar projects to be implemented on lands under private stewardship. This work will allow native buffers to be re-established adjacent to watercourses where access to drains for maintenance purposes is required. In addition, it will allow for the establishment of corridors of prairie habitat across farm fields increasing shelter for wildlife to move between disconnected natural areas. These areas have previously been deemed inappropriate for habitat restoration. Local fauna will benefit from the re-creation of native habitats to which they are adapted, thereby strengthening their numbers and increasing their long term survivability in the area. The use of a prairie mix should also eliminate the use of herbicides in these areas as prairie plants, once established, tend to out compete weedy species. In addition, prairie plants tend to act as a barrier to the movement of root lesion nematode which could potentially aid farmers in protecting their crop from this organism. This could potentially reduce the amount of pesticide applied to adjacent fields in order to control this pest.

Prairie Restoration Partners:

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