Photo by: Jon Sullivan | License Type: CC BY 4.0
Background
Invasive crack willow trees are found along many streams in the Duluth area and throughout Minnesota. These large trees shade the rivers, potentially providing benefits to coldwater species like brook trout, but they also impact the channel by creating root dams and debris dams that trap sediment and change aquatic habitats.
Very little research has been conducted on the impacts of crack willow on streams in North America, with essentially no research done in the Upper Midwest or Great Lakes regions, despite an abundance of crack willow present. There is a need to fill data gaps on the impacts of riparian crack willow on stream geomorphology and physical habitat.
Projects
NRRI researchers are leading and collaborating on two crack willow projects with University of Minnesota Duluth researchers:
- Riparian crack willow: benefit, harm or both for stream fauna?
- Riparian crack willow: are channel impacts controllable by in-stream management?
Funding
Funding for these projects was provided by Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) through the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center.
