Addison Township officials have had enough of invasive plant species that are sucking water away from native plants and robbing species of their natural habitat.

To combat this, the township will participate in a countywide cooperative invasive species management program.

During its May 15 meeting, the board unanimously approved a proposal to join the Oakland County Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (OC CISMA). It also allocated $5,000 to be used as matching funds to qualify for the program.

The OC CISMA is a partnership of entities within Oakland County which are collaborating to control invasive species.

Addison officials will be aided in the control and prevention of invasive species, as well as provided with educational programs and management methods.

According to Supervisor Bruce Pearson, the move will help cut back on several invasive species throughout the township. The first round of treatments would primarily target phragmites in one area of Watershed Park and along several roads.

Phragmites are typically found in marshes and wetlands, robbing fish, plants and wildlife of nutrients and space, and blocking access to the water for swimming, fishing and other recreation. It can grow to be over 15 feet tall and often crowds out other plants.

“The phragmites actually take over so much that it will destroy your property because it gets so thick and it shields you from the lake . . . if you don’t control it,” Pearson.

According to Pearson, the first area which will be treated through program in the fall will be a five-acre lowland area located in Watershed Park. “We have a huge phragmites problem there and we’re going to ask (OC CISMA) to come and tell us how to eradicate it . . . We want to rely on the experts,” he said.

The state Department of Natural Resources announced on May 2 that up to $3.6 million in grants will be available to combat invasive species in the 2017-18 year.

According to Pearson, by opting into OC CISMA, the road commission may also begin to eradicate invasive plant species found in roadside ditches within the township, offering Leonard and Haven as two examples of phragmites-ridden roads.

The state Department of Environmental Quality recommends controlling phragmites with an approach that includes an initial herbicide treatment followed by mechanical removal and annual maintenance. To learn more about OC CISMA, visit michiganinvasives.org/occisma/