The Weed Smackdown is a partnership between the Sandy River Watershed Council (SRWC), Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District (CSWCD), and the land owners and residents of the upper Sandy River watershed. This program works in the upper watershed to identify and remove the ‘Terrible Twelve’ noxious weeds before they alter streamside and forest habitat.
Captain Smackdown returned once again to the Sandy River watershed!
Our goal? To disarm and destroy weeds that threaten thriving forests, salmon-bearing streams, and infrastructure near you. For the 7th successive summer, SRWC and CSWCD worked together to make this partnership a success!
Captain Smackdown’s most notorious foes are Policeman’s Helmet, Orange Hawkweed, False Brome, Knotweed and Garlic Mustard. The notorious ringleader, Policeman’s helmet, is an early spring sprouter. Smackdown heroes can curtail this weed by pulling the whole plant up by the roots. Without intervention, this ruthless weed can spread over 100,000 seeds per plant. Even more, the seedpods burst up to 15 feet in all directions! Incredible! Japanese knotweed, another arch rival, is a site loyalist. Japanese knotweed takes several years to fully takedown. There are other noxious plants that drift in from upstream planets. Check out the profiles for the rest of the Terrible Twelve!
Donning highlighter orange vests, Captain Smackdown heroes powered up EDRR super-goggles. Early detection and rapid response (EDRR) is a practice to identify and address new weed sprouts before they dominate an area. During the summer of 2019, Smackdown heroes detected 109 new weed locations across 209 acres. We also shared instructions for battling these noxious weeds with 163 residences so they can aid in the Smackdown efforts. Local residents and landowners are crucial allies in the fight against dominating weeds our watershed!
Are you ready to wake your inner Captain Smackdown? We can’t do it alone!
Landowners, residents, hikers, bikers, and anglers alike! You too can wear EDRR supergoggles by doing the following: Develop your noxious weed identification skills so you’ll know when you spot one. Report weeds early on, before they affect your property economically and environmentally. Use your boot brush before and after every trip to keep weed seeds at bay.
Our strong alliance with CSWCD will keep this going through 2020:: stay tuned!
