Program on Wocus Set for February 4th

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A program on efforts to restore populations of wocus plants in the Klamath Basin will be presented next week during a meeting of the Klamath Basin Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon.

The program is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 4, at the Klamath County Museum, 1451 Main St. in Klamath Falls. The meeting is open to anyone interested. Presenters will be Megan Skinner, acting water operations chief at the Bureau of Reclamation’s Klamath Basin Area Office, and Christie Nichols, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Wocus, also known as pond lily, is regarded as a key element in the ecology of Upper Klamath and Agency lakes. While wocus once covered much of the water surface of Upper Klamath Lake, the plant’s abundance has diminished dramatically over the past century.

Scientists believe wocus and other wetland plants likely play a key role in habitat for endangered suckers in Upper Klamath Lake. Wocus is also a traditional source of food for the Klamath Tribes.

Partners in the wocus restoration effort include the Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Trout Unlimited, and the Klamath Tribes.

For more information on the Native Plant Society call (541) 281-9933.

Press release provided from the Native Plant Society of Oregon, Klamath Chapter.