Chena River Lakes Project Revegetation Study. Three-Year Summary
Abstract
During the growing seasons of 1977, 1978, and 1979, revegetation techniques were studied on the Chena River Lakes Project, a flood control dam and levee near Fairbanks, Alaska, to find an optimal treatment for establishing permanent vegetation cover on the gravel structures. The treatments tested on plots at the dam and/or levee involved three main variables: (1) vegetation (grass and clover seed and/or willow cuttings), (2) mulch, mulch blanket, and/or sludge, and (3) substrate (gravel or fine-grained soil over the gravel base). The mulches were hay, wood-cellulose-fiber, peat moss, and Conwed Hydro Mulch 2000, which is a wood-cellulose-fiber mulch with a polysaccharide tackifier. A constant rate of fertilizer was applied to all plots except the control. A section of each plot was refertilized again in their third growing season to compare annual and biannual fertilization. The high fertilization rate produced above-average growth. Fescue, brome, and foxtail were the most productive species on the dam, while alsike cover was the most productive on the wetter levee site. When grass seed and willow cuttings were planted at the same time, willow survival and growth were reduced. Fertilization is required for at least two years to produce an acceptable permanent vegetation cover, although fine- grained soil or sludge reduces the amount of fertilizer needed in the second year. Third-year fertilization may not be necessary since the benefits of the second fertilization continue for at least two years. A sludge treatment refertilized during its second growing season produces the highest biomass recorded in this study.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA108909
Entities
People
- David A. Gaskin
- Lawrence A. Johnson
- Susan D. Rindge
Organizations
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory