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TURKEY CREEK CDs Noxious WEED CONTROL PROGRAM FOR PUEBLO COUNTY PAGE 2 OF 10 The best management goals for the Barnhart Pit site are: 1)to quickly contain the current small infestations of russian knapweed(less than 1/2 acre, single patch)and musk thistle(approximately 2-5 acres, scattered)and work towards their timely elimination; 2)to contain the current moderate to heavy infestations of saltcedar(approximately 5-10 acres)and russian olive(approximately 5-10 acres)and work towards their elimination; and 3)to contain and suppress the current heavy infestation of canada thistle(more than 3 acres observed,very dense; further scouting needed where found),working first towards its complete containment and then towards its elimination. Noxious weed management is not a one-time effort. To obtain your desired level of management, you will need to perform control measures for several years. First,develop an accurate map of weed infestations. Divide the problem into achievable pieces. Work at small infestations and the perimeters of larger infestations first. This will help keep infestations from spreading outward and will help you catch new outbreaks quickly. By confining the weeds into areas,they will be more manageable. Keep records of the controls you use and the results. This will help you to analyze your progress and to make any needed modifications to your control program. Integrated management is a program of noxious weed control that properly implements a variety of coordinated control methods. There are no cure-alls for noxious weeds—no single tool will work every time in every situation. The solution is integrated management,which combines, or integrates,different tools to provide more effective weed control than any single tool could produce. The stress and damage caused by one tool weakens the target,making it more susceptible to damage caused by other tools. Types of control methods include mechanical, cultural, chemical, and biological. Integrated management greatly improves the success rate for your weed control plan. Species-Specific Control Options and Recommendations: Saltcedar(Tamarix chinensis, T.parviflora, T. ramosissima): Saltcedar is a perennial shrub with a creeping root system. These plants are long-lived and will grow and spread year after year. Saltcedar often forms dense stands along drainages and in riparian areas. Because of its large size and growth habit, saltcedar is often difficult and labor-intensive to control. On average, a mature plant will produce 600,000 seeds per season with seed viability at approximately 45 days. However, saltcedar spreads mainly through its extensive creeping root system and will form dense colonies. New shoots will emerge from any root fragmentation. While it is important to stop seed formation,with this plant,it is most important to stop its vegetative spread. Many different control methods can be used on saltcedar. Mechanical,cultural,biological, and chemical controls have all proven effective on saltcedar. Consider both the size of the saltcedar shrubs and the infestation level when choosing a control method. An integrated approach that combines several types of control methods with proper timing will work best. ❖ Saltcedar is not well controlled by mechanical methods alone. However mechanical controls prove very useful when combined with other control methods. Keep in mind that saltcedar will form new sprouts at each point where its root system is broken and also from root fragments, therefore,mechanical methods should be followed up with herbicide applications to the re- sprouts. • Mechanical methods used to control saltcedar include: cutting/chopping, grinding/chipping/shredding, pulling/chaining, and plowing/disking. Equipment used in the mechanical control of saltcedar include: loppers, axes, chainsaws, weed-wrenches,root plows,bulldozers,timber mulchers,etc.