River group gets help in their war on weeds

Published 10:59 pm Thursday, April 9, 2009

EVERETT — The battle against knotweed, an invasive, nonnative plant that damages salmon habitat in local creeks and rivers, is getting some reinforcements.

The Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force, a nonprofit group that works on projects to restore salmon populations, is receiving $230,000 from the state and federal governments to beat back the plant on the north fork of the Stillaguamish River.

“Knotweed is a nasty, noxious weed,” said Ann Boyce, executive director for the Everett-based fisheries group.

Native to Japan, knotweed has been wreaking havoc in Great Britain since the mid-1800s. It was introduced to America as an ornamental plant in the late 19th century.

“It shades out other plants,” Boyce said. “It actually shades out blackberries. I call it the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ of noxious weeds.”

With the help of other agencies and previous grants, the group has fought knotweed on the north and south forks of the Stillaguamish and their tributary creeks for four or five years, Boyce said.

“We are making a pretty good impact,” she said.

Knotweed has to be sprayed to kill the roots. If it’s pulled out, it just grows back. Each infested area has to be sprayed every couple of years, Boyce said.

On the Stillaguamish, lack of tree cover and the spread of knotweed have contributed to high water temperatures, excessive sediment and reduced food supply for fish, among other problems, according to the task force.

The three-year grant will pay for surveys, recruiting property owners, spraying and restoration of areas still free of the weed, Boyce said.

The task force also has received $95,000 in state and federal grant money for habitat restoration and flood control on Tychman Slough, a 2-mile side-channel of the Skykomish River near Sultan.

Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.