COCOLALLA — Rushes are round and sedges have edges.

How to tell the difference in the grass-like plants was one of many things Southside Elementary students learned during a field trip to the Cocolalla wetland restoration project area last week. Krista Jones, a paraprofessional at Southside, said she enjoyed the tour because there was so much for the kids to learn about.

"And the kids who live here, they already have connections and know some of these things, so they find it really interesting," Jones said.

Some of the second- and third-graders knew about wildlife, such as the nesting habits of wood ducks, as well as the some of the wetland names — swamps, marshes and ponds. They also knew a bit about monarch butterflies and milkweed, which they learned more about from Idaho Fish and Game biologist Bill Ament who was planting milkweed on-site while talking to the kids. They also learned, of course, all about the restoration project efforts and it’s importance to area wildlife.

Restoration efforts of 123-acre area on the south end of the lake began in 2015. Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Bonneville Power Administration, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Cocolalla Lake Association, Ducks Unlimited and the Natural Resources Conservation Service all had a hand in the restoration project, said Miles Benker, wildlife habitat biologist with IDFG.

The lake surface is 805 acres, and the overall watershed surrounding the lake is approximately 41,000 acres divided into five smaller watersheds — Cocolalla, Fish, Butler, Westmond and Johnson creeks. There is enough drainage that the watershed turns the lake twice a year, helping to preserve it, said Cinda Bennett with the Cocolalla Lake Association. The CLA, along with Lake Pend Oreille School District Trustee Gary Suppiger, helped coordinate the tour for the students.

One step in the restoration project was to incorporate man-made wetlands, which were engineered to mimic natural wetlands, Benker said. The shallow-water wetland cells were designed to benefit the majority of "obligate wetland species" in the area, which Benker said includes anything from amphibians to waterfowl. The area includes six cells, five of which capture and hold water and slowly recede at a natural pace. The biggest wetland cell to the north has a water-control structure, so IDFG officials can actively manage the water level, Benker said.

Some of the restoration also involved reconstructing one-third mile of Fish Creek to put it back to its "historic channel," Benker said.

"So there will be fish benefit in the future as that develops, and we are encouraging wetland plants to help stabilize that new bank," Benker said. 

One plant IDFG is trying to get rid of, on the other hand, is the reed canarygrass, which is an invasive species that covered several acres of the property. Benker said IDFG is actively managing about seven acres of reed canarygrass.

"We want better than that for this property, so we are taking that out through chemical applications and cultivation, then re-seeding and getting it back to a native mix," Benker said.

Once the reed canarygrass is gone, Benker said they will plant oat fields as a food plot for big game animals.

Wildlife and wildlife habitat is the primary reason for acquisition of the property, Benker said. Bennett said the property was close to development before it was acquired by IDFG, and the restoration has contributed to improving the lake quality. It is open for the public to enjoy for nature walks, hunting and fishing, though it is important to heed the rules. No motor vehicles are allowed in, no camping and "pack it in, pack it out."

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.