New Creek 14 Prescribed Burn

On March 23, 2012 a prescribed, or controlled, burn at New Creek Site 14 was conducted. The burn was part of the dam rehabilitation project mitigation plan compensating for impacts to wetlands downstream of the dam. Most of the 9.1 acres of wetland are infested with reed-canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) and Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellate). Reed-canary grass commonly infests wetland areas resulting in the displacement of native wetland plants and the decline of wetland habitats.

The burn is the first part of a monitored field trial for reed-canary grass. The area will be mowed in August, then treated with a herbicide in late fall. Seeding the wetland area with a native wetland meadow mix and planting native trees and shrubs will occur after the reed-canary grass is reduced.

New Creek Site 14 is located approximately 14 miles upstream of the City of Keyser on Linton Creek, a tributary to New Creek, in the northeastern portion of Grant County, WV. The stream flows in a northeasterly direction along State Route 93 and US Routes 50 and 220, through the City of Keyser in Mineral County, where it joins the North Branch of the Potomac River. The dam provides flood control for downstream areas and water supply to the City of Keyser. For more information on the dam rehabilitation project go to http://www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov/news/12feb_nv/newCrk.html.

	Before: Overlooking the burn area prior to burning.
	After: The burn was completed on March 23, 2012.

The morning the reed-canary grass burn was scheduled, Natural Resources Conservation Service and West Virginia Division of Forestry employees joined the contractor at the site.

	The contractor coordinated the burning activity and briefed the crew on the fire and safety plan.
	Ron Wigal, Pam Yost, Heather Hinson, Bobby Burken, and Joe Hatton are made aware of their escape routes during the safety briefing.
	The dry grass was ignited.  In the photo foreground, the dozer line is visible. The line was put around the burn area prior to lighting the fire to confine the burn area.
	Pam Yost and Ron Wigal watch for escaped embers on the outside of the burn area.
	The fire advances through the reed-canary grass
	Ron Wigal was the NRCS lead for the burn.

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