Wild Rivers Invasive Species Coalition

This page is dedicated to the data that WRISC has collected on invasive species locations in our coverage area.  Please note that some very common invasives are under-represented on our maps.  Because some species are so common, they are usually not considered priorities when mapping. 

Thanks to all of the WRISC partners that have contributed data, the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network which has posted our data on their website for all to view and download.  In particular, we would also like to thank the WE-Energies Mitigation and Enhancement Fund for supporting much of this data collection since 2013.

You can view and download all of WRISC's location data by visiting the MISIN website.  Browse through data by species, location, or look at WRISC-submitted data in the "Wild Rivers Invasive Species Coalition Mapping Project."

You can also request copies of WRISC's excel spreadsheet and maps by contacting the Coordinator at [email protected] or 906-774-1550x102. 

European Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre), also called European Swamp Thistle, has become increasingly common in the WRISC area.  The map below shows all of the marsh thistle locations recorded by WRISC, including red points only added in 2015.  Although this map would imply that the plant is less common in the southern and eastern parts of the coverage area, those sections are only blank for lack of recorded data.  However, areas such as Florence county, where numerous surveys have been done along rivers, roadways, and WI DNR properties, indicate a very high occurrence rate.

Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula) is a species common in some of the WRISC coverage area, but very scarce in others.  Because of this, in 2015 WRISC conducted several roadside inventories for leafy spurge which revealed a high prevalence in Marinette county in particular but more scattered populations to the north.  The map below shows the areas that were surveyed in 2015 and a comparison of known locations before and after the survey. 

Inventories like this help WRISC staff to prioritize treatment efforts to address the leading edge of an infestation before it spreads further. 

Similar to Leafy Spurge, Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is widespread in some parts of the WRISC area, and scarce in others.  WRISC also conducted a 2015 roadside inventory for wild parsnip which documented the known high prevalence in Florence county but also revealed low densities in other WRISC areas. 

The map below shows the areas that were surveyed in 2015 and a comparison of known locations before and after the survey.

In 2015 WRISC did a smaller survey for purple loosestrife locations along area roadways. 

Stay tuned for information of the distribution of aquatic invasives in the WRISC area!  Until then, view information on the MISIN website or the WDNR's AIS listing by waterbody.