The County has a program to prevent the spread of harmful weeds, and they have a team of professionals who work together to ensure that the program is effective. The team includes (1) Weed Inspector, who collaborates with the Ag Fieldman and Assistant Ag Fieldman, as well as (5) River Valley Spraying Operators and (4) Roadside Spraying Operators. The team uses a web-based mapping system called EDDMapS to keep track of the locations where noxious and prohibited noxious weeds are found. This helps them monitor the populations over time and evaluate how well their control strategies are working. This way, they can make any necessary adjustments to their approach to ensure they are successful in preventing the spread of harmful weeds.
ASB staff is responsible for implementing weed control measures on roadsides and municipal-owned properties. Maintaining weed control along County roadsides holds immense significance due to various reasons, such as:
- Ensuring clear site lines to signs and intersections.
- Providing visibility to wildlife crossing roadways.
- Reducing snow accumulation, promoting road drainage and drying, and facilitating snow removal.
- Controlling noxious and prohibited noxious weeds that pose a threat to agriculture.
Our roadside spraying program aims to eliminate trees, shrubs, and weeds that create problems while preserving herbaceous vegetation to prevent erosion and enhance aesthetic appeal. To achieve this, we employ several methods of weed control, including biological control, mechanical control through mowing, and chemical spraying.
In cases where weed control is not being done by residents, enforcement under the Weed Control Act of Alberta must be undertaken by law.
Noxious Weeds
The noxious class weeds are those weeds that, although detrimental to production or the general environment, are so widespread that eradication is not practical. Therefore, we encourage and enforce control to prevent further spread.
In the case of noxious weeds, the team is to inventory the designated species and map the locations. Then, at their discretion, a notice may be issued, or some other approach to controlling the noxious weeds will be determined. Typically, this will involve reaching a mutual understanding of the action. However, if the inspector(s) choose to issue a notice, the recipient is obligated to carry out the directives of the notice.
PROHIBITED NOXIOUS WEEDS
The prohibited noxious weeds are those that pose an intolerable economic threat to production, recreation, or the general environment, and the degree of infestation is such that eradication is physically and economically feasible.
When prohibited noxious weeds are involved, the team is obligated to inventory the designated species, map the locations, and issue a notice to destroy. If there is non‑compliance, they are obligated to contact the Agricultural Fieldman so as to initiate legal action or cause the work to be done and have all costs charged against the land involved. Further, continued surveillance by the prevention team can be anticipated for several years to ensure that there are no recurrences of growth of the weed.
If you have any questions or think you may have come across a noxious weed, please feel free to contact us at 403-653-4977.
For more information on these weeds, please check out the Alberta Invasive Plants Network.
Autumn Olive Big Head Knapweed Common Barberry Common Buckthorn Common St John's Wort Diffuse Knapweed Dodder Dyer's Woad Eurasian Water Milfoil Flowering Rush Garlic Mustard Giant Hogweed Giant Knotweed | Mouse-ear Hawkweed Nodding Thistle Orange Hawkweed Pale Yellow Iris Plumeless Thistle Puncturevine Purple Loosestrife Red Bartsia Rush skeleton weed Russian Knapweed Salt Cedar Saltlover Scentless Chamomile |