The Topsail Nature Preserve, including its beaches and parking lot, will temporarily close to the public during the morning of Oct. 7 while a licensed contractor conducts herbicide treatment to control the highly invasive Common Reed (Phragmites australis).
Management of the Topsail Nature Preserve was transferred to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) earlier this year. As part of its stewardship of the property, DCM is working to protect and enhance the Preserve’s native coastal habitat, including addressing invasive plant species that threaten the ecosystem.
Phragmites australis is a vigorous, non-native plant that can form dense stands and crowd out native vegetation. It spreads through both seeds and underground stems, or rhizomes, making it difficult to eradicate once established.
The herbicide application is expected to take only a few hours and will occur in the interior of the Preserve. For public safety and to allow the contractor to complete the work efficiently, visitors should not enter the Preserve while treatment is underway.
The Preserve is expected to reopen later the same day once the work is complete. Beach areas will be safe for public use when the Preserve reopens.
Treating the infestation now will help prevent further spread of Phragmites and protect the native coastal ecosystem at Topsail Nature Preserve.
Because of the plant’s aggressive growth and the size of the infestation at the Preserve, herbicide treatment is the most practical method for controlling it. The application will be conducted by a licensed herbicide contractor in accordance with herbicide label requirements approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
An announcement will be by press release and via DEQ’s Facebook page when the Preserve has reopened.