LAKE COUNTY — Lake County residents learned about Arundo, Tamarisk, Spanish broom, Tree-of Heaven, Water primrose, and Goat grass weeds during a tour July 22 from the North Shore to Kelseyville.
Attendees also heard about aquatic weeds during the event, the fifth annual Lake County Weed Management Area Weed Tour.
Agricultural biologist Katherine Blyleven for the county said the weeds are, “unfortunately all present in the county.”
She and other organizers showed people what the weeds look like, informed them that the weeds displace native vegetation, compete for water and pose a fire hazard.
During the four-hour event, the public was invited to caravan to various locations to see the invasive species” impacts on the environment.
The tour was part of California”s Invasive Weed Awareness Week, the third week of July. This year, the Board of Supervisors adopted a proclamation designating July 18 to 24 as Invasive Weeds Awareness Week in Lake County.
The primary mission during the week was to raise awareness about the impacts that invasive weed species have on the environment and natural resources. A display was set up at the Agricultural Center showcasing numerous invasive weeds and a weed tour was hosted by the WMA. The WMA is a group of agencies and individuals dedicated to detecting and eradicating invasive weed species in Lake County.
This event was made possible by the following WMA members, Greg Dills of the East Lake & West Lake Resource Conservation District, Cathy Koehler of UCD McLaughlin Reserve, Carolyn Ruttan of the Lake County Department of Water Resources and Katherine Blyleven of the Lake County Department of Agriculture.
The WMA members would like to thank all those who participated in this year”s tour.
