The City of Grande Prairie has provided an update on its ongoing Noxious Weed Control project to address concerns about harmful weeds spreading through the city.
According to the city, the plants can pose “serious risks” to local ecosystems and agriculture. As a result, the city has implemented two targeted programs that operate in the region throughout the growing season.
In mechanically managed areas of the city, such as places where mowing and other regular maintenance occur, crews use broadleaf spot-spraying techniques when addressing weeds that could return unless they are sprayed.
When it comes to naturalized and non-mechanically managed areas in places that are not mowed, the city relies on chemical control to manage noxious and prohibited weeds. Herbicides are applied in a targeted fashion, once per growing season, to protect other plant life in the area.
The city maintains that it can take days or sometimes weeks after treatment for an area to show visible signs as plants absorb the herbicides in their root systems, effectively destroying the noxious plant from the inside.
Throughout the growing season, residents are encouraged to report any areas of concern where noxious weeds are present to AccessGP at 3-1-1.
