Controlling mosquitoes through innovative and collaborative wetland management practices in the Pacific Northwest

When developing a plan to restore or modify a wetland within the Pacific Northwest of the United States (PNW), land managers must consider all of the potential ecological impacts, including the unintended production of mosquitoes which can adversely impact the health of people and wildlife in the area. Case studies in this article highlight mitigation activities conducted in cooperation with  local mosquito control professionals for water conveyances in the states of Washington and Oregon that effectively minimize production of mosquitoes in managed wetlands. Communicating with  mosquito control professionals early in the wetland restoration planning process can save valuable time and resources if the restored wetland becomes an ideal breeding site for pestiferous mosquitoes.  By preventing unintentional mosquito production, resources that would be spent controlling mosquitoes and responding to public health concerns post restoration could be redirected towards achieving  the overall mission of the wetland restoration. The authors will demonstrate how mosquito control professionals and wetland managers worked cooperatively to achieve mutually-beneficial results, while  complying with all local, state, and federal regulations. The following broad steps for a wetland restoration project are recommended: (1) Create a long-term vision for the project; (2) Build a team of  collaborators and gather stakeholders; (3) Outline the regulatory guidelines; (4) Prepare required planning documents/acquire permits; (5) Conduct project, while monitoring (target and non-target) impacts including mosquitoes; and (6) Periodically review environmental impacts.