Colorado Water Dec 2005

• Year: 2005
• Title: Colorado Water
• Author: Water Center of Colorado State University
• Description: December 2005 Issue
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

past year to develop and implement a comprehensive
plan to control woody invasive species. The Nature
Conservancy, Purgatoire River Water Conservancy
District, Colorado State Forest Service, Tamarisk
Coalition, Natural Resources Conservation Service,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Spanish Peaks- Purga-
tiore River Conservation District, , Southeast Colo-
rado Water Conservancy District, U.S. Forest Service,
U.S. Department of Defense, local governments, and
private landowners are leading the way —and the list
of cooperators continues to grow.
Recognizing the enormity and importance of the ef-
fort they were about to undertake, project team mem-
bers developed a charter and work plan to help them
stay on track and monitor progress. In March 2005,
they drafted a work plan and established
five teams to implement specific goals and
objectives. Following is a summary of the
goals of each team:
the upper reaches of the watershed, which provide a
downstream seed source, will be removed. The team
also will establish demonstration sites for educational
purposes.
Future phases of the TTP Project involve the removal
of target trees, completing work downstream from
the remainder of the watershed, and monitoring and
re- treatment as needed. A variety of control methods
will be applied, depending on the location and density
of tamarisk. Such methods include stump cut, foliar
herbicide treatment and mechanical removal with later
applications of herbicide as either a basal bark spray
or foliar treatment to the regrowth. The team is also
recruiting volunteers to help with eradication efforts.
See before and after
photos on front page.
• Science Team – ensure that actions reflect the knowl-
edge of experts by providing access to research and
expert advice; capture and demonstrate the effects of
restoration activities on multiple scales.
• Planning Team – develop a strategic watershed -scale
plan based on the best available science and include
views and needs of all interested stakeholders.
• Fundraising Team –fully fund the TTP Project by
creating a comprehensive database of funding sources
and developing and implementing a fundraising strat-
egy.
• Education and Outreach Team – heighten awareness
of the tamarisk issue to stakeholders; ensure effec-
tive, accurate, and precise communication about the
project.
• Implementation Team – identify and implement proj-
ects that transform the watershed plan into effective,
on- the - ground restoration.
With the organizational structure in place, the TTP
Project team is focusing first on the development of
a comprehensive map that pinpoints invasive woody
tree populations. The map will help identify areas in
which strategic treatment mitigates the establishment
and spread of these undesirable species. The mapping
effort is being funded by grants from the Colorado
Water Conservation Board, Purgatoire River Water
Conservancy District and The Nature Conservancy.
Other grant applications have also been submitted
for additional funding. After the mapping has been
completed, scattered individual trees encountered on
To complement the work being done on the
ground and foster support for the project, the
team will continue to host public forums,
distribute information about how to effec-
tively control these invasive species, and work with
local media to help keep the public informed about
progress and events. The project has already received
significant local media coverage. Newspapers in Trini-
dad published two front page articles about the project
and Trinidad State Junior College taped a 30- minute
interview that was broadcast on Trinidad cable televi-
sion.
Recognizing that private landowners are instrumental
to the success of the project, the team is also working
with landowners to provide them with the information
they need to make informed decisions about how best
to control tamarisk on their land.
The TTP Project team is currently planning activities
for spring 2006, which includes additional mapping
that incorporates data from the National Institute for
Invasive Species Science, identification of a demon-
stration site, and the application of eradication treat-
ments at the top of the watershed. Meanwhile, interest
continues to grow as new cooperators are added to
the list of involved organizations. They all recognize
that this is a long -term effort—and that the Purgatoire
River Watershed and its native fisheries, rare riparian
plant species, agriculturally based communities, and
recreational users — depend on their success.
For more information about the Tackling Tamarisk on
the Purgatoire Project, contact Shelly Van Landing -
ham, Colorado State Forest Service, at (719)384 -9097.
13