New online tool helps identify common invasive weeds
Douglas County is working hard to help residents identify and control invasive weeds. Their new online tool is called Invasive Weeds Virtual Environment and upon entering the site you are given the option to click 'Landowner' or 'Homeowner'.
From there you are given the options of clicking on informational icons such as:
The problem with invasive weeds is that they take up resources like water and soil nutrients, creating dry fuel for wildfires and taking away from healthy, soil nourishing native crops. When natives don't have enough of the resources they need, they don't thrive and the land and soil suffers, drying out and becoming depleted of nutrients it needs to sustain a healthy ecosystem.
From there you are given the options of clicking on informational icons such as:
- Introduction
- Most Common Weeds
- Environmental Impacts
- County Resources
- Managing Invasive Weeds
The problem with invasive weeds is that they take up resources like water and soil nutrients, creating dry fuel for wildfires and taking away from healthy, soil nourishing native crops. When natives don't have enough of the resources they need, they don't thrive and the land and soil suffers, drying out and becoming depleted of nutrients it needs to sustain a healthy ecosystem.
To combat the threat of invasive weeds, local state and federal governments have implemented strict laws to control their spread. In Colorado, the Noxious Weed Management Act requires people to control, contain, and eradicate these invasive weeds on their private property.
The new online tool makes it easy for you to identify invasive weeds, provides info on how to keep them under control, and get support to eliminate them.
Photo shows cheatgrass, the most prolific invasive weed in Colorado. It's easy to pull right out and if you don't it spreads millions of seeds if left to go to seed. Here's our 2022 article about this particular invasive weed.