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sucking up incredible volumes of water from the riverbeds. They can aggravate flooding by becoming a barrier within the watercourse channels. Other noxious weeds such as spotted, diffuse, and Russian knapweed readily establish on any disturbed soil. Their early spring growth makes them competitive for soil moisture and nutrients and there is some evidence that they release chemical substances that inhibit surrounding vegetation. Field bindweed is a difficult weed to eradicate because of a root system that can penetrate the soil to a depth of 20 feet and which gives rise to numerous lateral roots. It can adapt to different environmental conditions and can be found at altitudes as high as 10,000 feet. Thistles, such as musk thistle and Canada thistle, can invade pastures and farm ground, along with roadsides or waste areas. Canada thistle is an aggressive weed that is difficult to control due to its extensive creeping root system. Leafy spurge has an extensive root system containing large nutrient reserves, which makes it extremely difficult to control. Further, the capsules on the plants explode when dry, often projecting seeds as far as 15 feet. Seeds may remain viable in the spoil for up to 8 years. All noxious weeds are aggressive and very competitive, stealing moisture, nutrients and sunlight from plants. Once a noxious weed gets established in an area it out competes the agricultural crop being produced by virtually choking it out. This is true for grain or feed crops and native grass in rangeland. Most aggravating to northeast Colorado residents, however, is the Tumbleweed. Common, somewhat whimsical, and seemingly harmless, tumbleweeds have, on occasion, inundated communities, contributed to grassland fires (particularly when fueled by winds) and clogged drainageways exacerbating flooding. Some believe the Tumbleweed problem to be directly related to both drought and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which pays landowners to not plant acreage registered in the program. The lack of crops contributes to weed growth (as does the lack of spraying), and then the lack of water contributes to the weed death, which then is dislodged from the ground by the wind, and the tumbleweeds are set free. The problem is when literally hundreds of thousands of tumbleweeds roam with the wind. The Planning Team was unable to find any documentation on the Tumbleweed hazard, and so cannot calculate a recurrence interval. The problem exists annually, with some years worse than others. It can be expected to continue. Wildlife and Insects (Coyotes, Rabbits, Grasshoppers & Mosquitoes) The final natural hazard affecting Northeastern Colorado is another unusual category; one not ordinarily considered - at least to FEMA and the vast majority of Emergency Managers. However, perspective is important - and to the residents of Northeastern Colorado, wildlife and insects have a long history of becoming "disasters" within the planning area. In fact, on December 29, 1924, the Colorado Governor declared a "Hunt Day," declaring open season on rabbits that were devastating the crops across the planning area. In one day, 125,000 rabbits were killed in a six county area (and 4,000 were shipped to Denver to feed the needy). In 1935, 15,000 rabbits were killed in Sedgwick County alone. Photos of "trains" of pick-up trucks piled high with the bounty still adorn the walls of local Historic Societies, barbershops and drug stores. 22