By Paul Payne
Monday, October 17, 2005
It looks like bamboo and grows in verdant clumps along the banks of the Russian River and its tributaries.
But don't let its lush appearance fool you. Giant reed is the enemy - the scourge of man and animal.
"It's a horrible plant," said Greg Fisher, restoration projects coordinator for Circuit Rider Productions, a Windsor non-profit that is working to eradicate the invasive reed. "We've really been going at it hard this season."
Arundo donax, as it's known to scientists, is a fast-growing Spanish import that is crowding out other plants and wildlife on the middle reach of the river, mostly near Healdsburg.
It has spread to about 300 acres in Sonoma County and rivals ludwigia and pepperweed as one of the most aggressive plants in the region, Fisher said.
Under ideal conditions, it can grow 4 inches a day.
"Old timers say you can damn near watch it grow," Fisher said.
Among the biggest fears is that its thick stocks suck up too much water, robbing salmon of habitat.
Also, it breaks off and floats downstream, clogging bridges and regenerating.
In Healdsburg, giant reed has gotten a foothold along Foss Creek and in Badger Park near the river, said Matthew Thompson, city arborist and parks supervisor.
Crews hacked away at the reed last week, dabbing herbicide on stumps and carting away truckloads of dead material.
The reed had resprouted in some areas after the city hired the Windsor group to remove it several years ago, Thompson said.
"It just keeps marching on and takes over native vegetation. It keeps spreading and spreading."
Elsewhere along the river the reed towers 30 feet high and can be seen from Highway 101, especially in the Alexander Valley.
This cutting season, which starts in the spring and ends this month, crews removed about 12 acres of reed, Fisher said. "We're at the beginning of a long-term push to get rid of this plant," Fisher said.
The cost in Sonoma County is unknown, but officials in Southern California have allocated tens of millions of dollars to fight it, Fisher said.
Agencies such as the Department of Fish and Game, the California Water Resources Control Board and the Coastal Conservancy have made it a top priority over the past few years.
That's a good thing because giant reed isn't going away by itself.
"We can manage it," Fisher said. "If we kept sitting on our hands, five to 10 years from now we would have a very serious problem."
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