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Re: Retention Pond Tree Recommendations

Fred,

A couple comments: We have plenty of oaks growing in clay soil here in Ohio. Compacted clay
liner of a basin may be a different thing but I still think they would be ok.   Bur Oak and
Swamp White Oaks should be good plants.  With regard to mosquito control, a long term option
is planting hickories shagbark and shellbark which attract bats.  Sycamores may also provide
cavity nesters locations.   Short term answer is to install some nest boxes for blue birds and
swallows.  Also might recommend getting some pond muck from another nearby system that is
healthy.  Sounds like you need some dragonfly larvae to eat the mosquitos.  We've had very
good luck with this strategy on our wetland restoration projects here.

Another woody plant that would be good in wet areas is Buttonbush.  It is a very nice looking
wetland shrub.  You might also want to consider red-osier dogwood.  Please note I'm not
familiar with Iowa native species so make sure you check these recommendations agains a local
native lists.

If you want to consume water through the trees then you would want to plant cottonwoods,
willows and sycamores.  I've seen some information on water uptake in the cottonwood family
for bioremediation and the volumes are pretty impressive.

With regard to your small prairie gardens, I would recommend you turn this into an educational
project for a local school.  We've taken wildflower seeds and containers to local elementary
schools and have them grow seedlings in the classroom followed by planting them outside in
May.  I always grow some back up seedling at home to make sure we have something to plant
:-).  We've had good success with this.  It not only educates the kids about native plants but
also gives them a sense of ownership in the prairie.  With regard to seed source, if you are a
purist then talk to a local native plant society.  If not I would recommend contacting someone
like Prairie Nursery or Prairie Moon Nursery for seeds and advice on planting.
--
Tom Schneider, Fernald Project Manager
Ohio EPA
Office of Federal Facilities Oversight
tschneid@offo2.epa.state.oh.us
http://offo2.epa.state.oh.us/FERNALD/fernald.htm

Fred Meyer wrote:

> I am a member of the North Liberty Trees Forever committee and would
> appreciate any suggestions anyone has on native plantings around an urban
> retention pond.
>
> We'd like the area to be used as a city park, with native trees and open
> recreational areas. My initial thoughts for tree plantings are red oak,
> white oak, bur oak, swamp white oak, shingle oak, green ash, white pine,
> river birch, black cherry and redbud. Do these sound like good choices? Are
> there better ones?
>
> We would also like to plant several decorative areas of native prairie grass
> and wildflowers. I have very little experience with this so any advice on
> selection and soil preparation would be appreciated.
>
> The retention pond is designed to hold excess runoff water so any trees that
> "soak up" large amounts of water would be beneficial (will trees make any
> significant impact on the water level?). The area around the pond has a few
> wet areas, but for the most part the steep banks keep the soil well drained.
> The soil has a high clay content. North Liberty, Iowa is located near Iowa
> City in the mid-eastern region of the state.
>
> A couple more questions:
> *       A local nursery indicated that oaks do not grow well in soil with a
> high clay content. Is this true?
> *       Neighbors have complained of mosquito problems around the pond. Are
> there any trees or shrubs that would attract wildlife that would reduce the
> problem?
>
> Thank you in advance for your time.
>
> Fred Meyer
> North Liberty Trees Forever
> trees@inav.net
>
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