Army Corps of Engineers works to clear Wilson Lake of invasive species

WILSON COUNTY, Kan. (KWCH) - The shore along Wilson Lake has become overgrown with an invasive plant species. It’s a problem the Army Corps of Engineers is taking to the sky to eliminate. The plants they’re targeting are phragmites, reeds that essentially outcompete native vegetation.

Overtaking the shoreline at Wilson Lake, one chemical spray from above won’t be enough to kill it all.

“We’re not going to be able to be able to overtake it in one spray. This is our first attempt of many to come. It’s expensive and we have to do it with a helicopter,” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Park Manager Nolan Fisher said.

Fisher said from above, they’re spraying nearly 50 miles of shoreline.

“It’s overtaken our beaches. It’s highly invasive, covers up our native beaches,” he said. “It’s also difficult for our native environment.”

Fisher said the chemical they’ll spray is EPA-certified but they’re taking precautions.

“We’ve notified our campers to not camp on our waterfront campsites. We didn’t close any of the camping down, we just moved them up to some of the higher regions, “Fisher said.

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