Did you know that American Electric Power (AEP) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) are collaborating on the Power Line Prairie Research Project at The Dawes Arboretum? The mutual goal for the organizations is to find the best management practices that establish and maintain a prairie habitat, creating a biodiverse ecosystem within the right-of-way (ROW) corridors.
The Power Line Prairie Research Project is planting native prairie seed mixes underneath power transmission lines in the ROW corridors. The corridors are the center and the surrounding borderlands, which lie beneath the transmission lines. Traditionally, non-native seed mixes are used instead of native species. In 2015, The Dawes Arboretum started a pilot program that slowly introduced native seed mixes to the ROW corridors on the Arboretum property. By 2017, The Arboretum and AEP joined forces to continue research showing the possibilities and advantages of replacing non-native seed mixes with native species.
The native species are aiding the ecological value and creating a more resilient landscape. Additionally, they are pollinator-friendly, drought tolerant, and assist with erosion control. They act as tree inhibitors while remaining less invasive and more cost-effective compared to the low-diversify habitats of non-native seed mixes. In the Power Line Prairie Research project, the ROW corridors have an opportunity for more viable solutions for post-construction restoration or re-vegetation in the following years, as the native species helps decrease the usage of herbicides and creates less labor-intensive management.
To learn more about our collaboration and the research on the Power Line Prairie Research Project, watch the video below:
Seeking Sustainable Solutions After Power Line Construction
