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Arundo Eradication and Control Program by Frank Wallace What is the Problem with Arundo? Arundo (also called Giant Reed) is a bamboo-like grass that thrives in moist soils and Sacramento's hot climate. It can grow up to 30 feet tall, as much as 1 foot a week in the summer! Arundo chokes out valuable native trees and shrubs that are an essential part of urban creek corridors. Willow, cottonwood and oak trees along with elderberry and buckeye shrubs provide food and nesting sites for native animals. Arundo competes aggressively with these plants, but native animals do not eat Arundo and birds will not nest in it. Arundo uses as much as 3 times more water than native plants and is extremely flammable. Arundo clogs streams and drainage channels, increasing the risk of floods and property damage. Where does Aundo Come From? Arundo is a native of northern India and of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. It was brought to the United States as an erosion control plant, for fencing, as an ornamental plant and for livestock feed. It was well established in southern California by the 1920s, and has spread throughout most of the Central Valley and the Sacramento River Delta, where farmers and homeowners now use it mostly as a wind break. It is infesting many creeks and drainage canals in Sacramento, the American River Parkway and as far upstream as the north fork canyon below Colfax. How Can Arundo be Eradicated? The Sacramento Weed Warriors (SWW), in partnership with the Sacramento Urban Creeks Council, has recently received a California Bay-Delta Authority grant to begin eradicating Arundo in Sacramento area creeks and the upper American River. SWW has been removing Arundo from the American River Parkway since 2001 under the supervision of the Sacramento County Parks Department. With this new grant support, SWW will collaborate with many local government agencies and will organize a community outreach program to publicize the project to schools, youth programs, neighborhood associations, church groups and environmental organizations. We will be organizing volunteer work groups to cut down the tall Arundo stalks and haul the slash away from the flood channels. Once regrowth occurs, a professional applicator will apply an herbicide to kill the thick rhizomes (root system). Arundo is very difficult to kill, so SWW staff and volunteer teams will monitor all treated areas for at least a year to be certain that no resprouts appear. Targeting Arundo The primary target areas include Arcade Creek downstream from Haggin Oaks Golf Course and Humbug Creek in Folsom. More than 30 Arundo clusters are infesting the lower portion of Arcade Creek from Roseville Road to Norwood Avenue. There are isolated clusters in north and south Sacramento, Auburn and western Placer County. For more information or to join our volunteer email list for work group flyers, contact Frank Wallace, SWW Director at 213-4682 or frankw2@pacbell.net
Sacramento Urban Creeks Council |
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all photos courtesy of
Frank Wallace
is serious work