Weed Management Program

Noxious weeds are more than plants out of place; they are non-native plants that are disrupting our native vegetation and ecosystems.  Noxious weeds thrive because they have no natural controls and are able to adapt to varied climatic conditions.  They flourish in areas that have been disturbed and lack native vegetation.

Our Mission

The purpose of the Weed Management Program is to provide compliance, information and county roads/properties weed management services to landowners, residents and visitors so they can benefit from reduced weed infestations.

***ATTENTION:  Herbicide Cost Share program has been suspended indefinitely.***

These are the main enforceable noxious weeds blooming right now.

Canada thistle Fact Sheet (Click Here)

Russian knapweed Fact Sheet (Click Here)

Musk thistle Fact Sheet (Click Here)

Oxeye daisy Fact Sheet (Click Here)

Yellow toadflax Fact Sheet (Click Here)

Program Overview

The goal of La Plata County Weed Management Program is to manage and/or eradicate noxious weeds in our region. We do this by controlling the weeds on County Roads and County Properties, and also through educating and helping landowners with vegetation on their property.

Large infestations can be stopped, reduced, managed and sometimes eventually eradicated. Smaller invasions can most times be fully eradicated before they have a chance to become established, and then spread throughout a sub region in the County. By accomplishing this landowners and managers help stop noxious weeds from forcing out native plants and animals from their natural environment.

La Plata County has an aggressive program when it comes to weed management.   We have developed our own methods for tracking and controlling weeds and have worked with many landowners to help manage weeds on private properties.  Below are some of the methods that have helped to control weeds thus far in La Plata County:

Consultations to Landowners

 On Site: Property walk through, with County Weed Manager

• For private landowners, subdivision members or property managers
• Identify both Noxious Weeds and Native Plants
• Weed Management Plan: control methods related to species, control times and native plants to help rehabilitate
• No cost

Off Site:  La Plata County Weed Office

• Bring plant samples into office for ID
• Control method suggestions or Weed Management Plan written
• Please call for an appointment to make sure staff is available 

Control roads and property weed management

• Promptly manage starting weed invasions along county road right of ways
• This limits spread to adjacent private properties and public lands

Map Noxious Weeds

• Data collection of weed infestations using a GPS/GIS system
• Historic data comparison (track weeds over time)
• Landowner notification
• Generate infestation maps for subdivision and County Roads weed management

Priority and Enforceable Weeds

• All landowners and managers with these weeds are required to manage and stop their spread
• All other noxious weeds are highly recommended for management, until at such time they become mandatory status

Another informative website is the Colorado Department of Agriculture state weed list site.  This page lists the different state issued and enforceable noxious weeds with fact sheets for each species.

You can also check out the new FAQ link to the top right.