The Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office is asking for landowners’ permission to kill an invasive weed that threatens the river’s ecology.
David Chang with the commissioner’s office said he is gearing up for an outreach to landowners along the Santa Ynez River to ask for permission to clear the banks of Arundo Donax, an invasive weed from Asia, also known as Giant Cane. Chang hopes this program can kill the weeds in three to four years with an additional year of continued treatment. In a 2008 survey, Chang found a total of seven net-acres of Arundo stretching along the river’s course. He said compared to other riparian zones — such as the Santa Clara River, where Arundo has nearly taken over — there is still hope for the Santa Ynez River.
Chang acknowledged that it could take several years before the weed dominates the local ecology but said a large fire could tip the balance. While local vegetation can check the growth of the weed, Arundo itself is highly flammable. When fire does come, the plant provides more fuel for the destruction. After the coals have cooled, the weed’s quick growth — up to 4 inches a day — outpaces other plants and firmly establishes it in the ecosystem. Thick patches of the weed can alter a river’s flow. Large clumps of Arundo can break off during a storm and create dams. Unchecked growth has the potential to cause a major headache, increasing both fire and flood risk.
The plant can also cause problems for local wildlife. Tim Robinson, a biologist with the Cachuma Conservation and Release Board, said, “They are invasive, have no natural predators and out-compete all the native species.” That, coupled with greater water consumption and the chance of streamflow alteration, means the weeds aren’t great for the river’s aquatic population.
Before Chang begins to eradicate the weeds, he must first win the support of landowners up and down the river. Chang said he wants to assure the public that they will keep the safety of the environment at top priority in their weed-killing efforts.
Chang also said the work of the eradication crews would only be focused on getting rid of the plants and would not be enforcing or monitoring other environmental ordinances. He said property owners would be notified each time a team wanted permission to kill weeds and did not expect the teams to be there for long. Chang said he will be attempting to call certain landowners and wanted to hold a meeting with them to discuss the project in more detail. For more information, visit www.countyofsb.org/agcomm/wma or call 681-5600.