Flowering Rush

The spread and impacts of flowering rush in the Winnipeg River will continue to be a focus for the Conservancy this year. There is some progress, as awareness of the problem is increasing. Earlier this winter Caroline Josephson participated in conversations with the Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association and government officials in Kenora about the plant. Cottagers in Clearwater Bay also participated, as flowering rush shows up more and more in Lake of the Woods. These were mainly introductory meetings, but information was shared on the extent of the problem to date, potential mitigation measures, and future courses of action. Caroline has also been in contact with Manitoba officials, as the plant marches downriver to the Provincial boundary.

In addition, MNRF staff in Kenora passed along to the Conservancy in December an email from Robert Bourchier at Agriculture Canada, asking about flowering rush impacts in NW Ontario in connection with federal-level work on combating the plant with a beetle. We took the chance in our reply to Mr. Bourchier (available by clicking here) to explain the devastation in the Winnipeg River.