News Detail
Loup Basin officials's weed work flows from other basins' lessons
2/4/2010 10:48:43 AM
By Lori Potter, The Kearney Hub
Loup Basin officials will rely on the experience of Platte Basin weed warriors to build their defense against noxious weeds.
"We are going to get into the weed business," said Lower Loup Natural Resources District General Manager Leon Koehlmoos. That effort starts with an aerial survey of the 640 miles of main channels of the South, Middle and North Loup rivers.
The need to be active in managing noxious weeds before they take over the Loup Basin as they have in the Republican and Platte basins was the big topic at Thursday's LLNRD board meeting in Ord.
Koehlmoos said presentations were made by officials of the Platte Valley Weed Management Authority, a multicounty group Loup Basin interests will join, including Project Manager Rich Walters and Buffalo County Weed Superintendent Dick Kincaid.
Koehlmoos said LLNRD has helped fund spraying on some "isolated bits and pieces" of invasive weeds, including purple loosestrife and phragmites where the Loup River flows into the Platte near Columbus.
The NRD and other Loup Basin entities will spend $16,000-$18,000 next fall to have helicopter surveillance done by the contractor working for the Platte Valley WMA.
Koehlmoos said it will involve only the three main stems - 230 miles of the South Loup, 200 miles of Middle Loup and 210 miles of the North Loup - but not tributaries such as Beaver Creek or the Calamus and Dismal rivers.
"Yeah, we've got a lot of work to do ... a lot of river miles," he said.
It's estimated that the survey will take three to four days. Koehlmoos said money hasn't been budgeted for the flyover or actual weed spraying, although applications will be made for grants.
So, 2010 spraying likely will focus again on known problems areas such as the Columbus site. Koehlmoos said some phragmites has been found as far west as Arnold and Merna in the Custer County part of his NRD.
Any spraying projects will require advance legwork to get approval from landowners, he said.
"We're trying to be proactive," Koehlmoos said, for the same reason the LLNRD has limited the expansion of certified irrigated acres to avoid being state-designated as fully appropriated.
Loup Basin officials will take advantage of the experience and expertise gained by the Platte Basin WMA officials in the past several years of using chemical and mechanical weed removal methods.
"So, we are not plowing that first furrow," Koehlmoos said.
