09/22/2026
INVASIVE SPECIES UPDATE
Lanark County Council received an update on the spread of phragmites and has asked staff to bring forward a two-year management plan that includes partnering with private landowners and local municipalities with a goal to reduce it by 50%.
“We need to declare war on phragmites,” said Warden Richard Kidd (Beckwith Reeve). “The County’s Natural Heritage System Working Group has identified phragmites as a serious threat to our wetlands. Our wild parsnip control program has been successful, but our efforts to stop phragmites are failing. The number of phragmites cells and the size of existing cells are rising exponentially. We need to take action now to reverse this invasion.”
Climate and Environmental Coordinator Elizabeth Boldt explained phragmites, also known as European common reed, was brought to North America in the 1800s and is referred to as Canada’s worst invasive plant. “It is terrestrial, aquatic and semi-aquatic and spread mostly by an extensive root system or rhizomes, although it can spread from seed.”
The w**d reaches heights of up to 5m and alters hydrology by clogging ditches, storm drains and agricultural tiles, causing flooding, property damage and reduced crop yields. Boldt explained it outcompetes existing vegetation to create dense cells that prevent wildlife movement. It also limits shoreline access, which reduces property values, increases fire hazards and creates visibility issues at intersections.
Public works staff conduct a phragmites inventory each summer. Since 2018, 165 cells have been identified along county roads and trails, with numbers rising each year. Boldt said cells are managed by mowing, digging and with herbicide, which is the most effective. Despite current efforts, the amount of phragmites continues to escalate and a more aggressive campaign is required to protect the County’s wetlands. The herbicide treatment will expand to include wet cells in 2026, with appropriate permits acquired. “Large cells may need to be treated in a phased, multi-year approach,” she said. “Partnering with adjacent landowners would be required to treat phragmites cells that extend beyond county property.”
The plan will be brought back to a future council meeting.
