Grand County’s Noxious Weed crews have been working hard to mitigate the spread of noxious weeds throughout the county this summer. This week, they concentrated efforts at the Granby Airport, Granby Landfill, US 40 around Granby and CR 8 into Winter Park Ranch. Monday through Thursdays, you will see the trucks carefully spraying herbicide on the weeds from the roadway.

Grand County Division of Natural Resources (DNR) operates under a directive from the Colorado Department of Agriculture to control and reduce the spread of noxious weeds in Grand County. This includes all county owned property, road rights of way, and public lands. Grand County DNR is also focused on providing information and assistance to private landowners to help control the spread of noxious weeds.

Noxious weeds are a direct and growing threat to the native environment of Grand County and the west.  They threaten the very reasons we live, work, and recreate in Colorado and all Colorado land owners are responsible for controlling noxious weeds on their property.  Noxious weeds are non-native plant species that have been introduced into an environment with few, if any, natural biological controls, giving them a distinct competitive advantage in dominating and crowding out native plant species, altering plant diversity and ecosystem integrity. They are aggressive, spread rapidly, possess the ability to reproduce profusely, and resist control. Pollinators are pushed to pollinating more of the non-native species instead of the native species’, furthering their ability to displace native flora and negatively affect wildlife habitat and native ecosystems.  

Noxious weeds become established in soils disturbed by a variety of activities such as construction, motorized vehicles, road maintenance, recreation, improper livestock grazing, and natural disturbances such as fire. Noxious weed seeds are transported to new sites in numerous ways such as wind, water, tires, people, as well as on or in wild and domestic animals.

The Middle Park Conservation District, in partnership with Grand County Natural Resources, recently produced a Grand County Noxious Weed Guide that is specific to the Noxious weed species found in Grand County and methods for control as well as information about prevention, re-seeding, and calibrating your sprayer for proper herbicide application. Interestingly, although there are over 80 species of noxious weeds on the Colorado list, Grand County has 26 species they manage. Unsure how to tell the difference between Field Bindweed and Dame’s Rocket? The list and guide can be found on the county website at co.grand.co.us.

The Grand County Division of Natural Resources (DNR) provides free herbicide every Friday at 469 E Topaz in Granby from 9 am – noon, and every other Friday at the fairgrounds in Kremmling, from 9 am – noon, and, 1:30 – 4 pm through the end of September. You must bring your own sprayer (no jugs, cans, buckets, etc.). For information, call (970) 887-0745.