A Call to Action to Save a Critically Imperiled Natural Community
Lake Pleasant Land Steward Bill Sayles has removed a purple loosestrife plant (Lythrum salicaria). Introduced in the United States during the 1800s for ornamental purposes, purple loosestrife invades wetlands and out-competes native plant species.
Volunteers are needed to map, cut and remove these invasive plants along the shore of Lake Pleasant and in surrounding wetlands and ponds on July 18th, 19th and on August 15th, 16th. Your help on any of these days can make all the difference. If you are interested in contributing to this project, please contact Tami Campbell at 412-586-2318 or tcampbell@paconserve.org.
A prime ecological resource of its own accord, Lake Pleasant lies within the renowned French Creek watershed, contributing positively to the water quality and chemistry of the stream. Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) has identified the French Creek watershed area as a high priority conservation area. The ecological importance of the area was noted by WPC as part of natural resource inventory work WPC performed in 1993. Lake Pleasant, located in Erie County stands as the best example of a calcareous glacial lake community in Pennsylvania.
Unlike many other large glacial lakes in Pennsylvania, Lake Pleasant has escaped the fate of development and water level manipulation that has claimed the integrity of its counterparts. However, there remain threats to Lake Pleasant, which include non-native invasive plants. Volunteers this Friday and Saturday will help to remove invasive plants, such as common reed (Phragmites australis), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), and narrow-leaved cattail (Typha anustifolia). All three species invade natural wetlands and out-compete native species for valuable resources. If left unmanaged, these species have the potential to become the dominant plants at Lake Pleasant and cause significant impacts to the rare species present now.
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