Sacramento County WMA

Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) flowerheads

Photo courtesy Bob Case

MOU

The Sacramento Weed Management Area Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishes the terms and conditions under which the WMA collaborates and coordinates activites necesary to prevent the introduction, establishment, and spread of harmful invasive weeds in Sacramento County. These activities focus on prevention, detection, and management of priority invasive weeds.

The MOU fosters interagency cooperation with federal, state and local agencies, watershed-based groups and private landowners in activites that contribute to the stated objectives.

COOPERATING GROUPS

• American River Parkway Foundation
• California Department of Food and Agriculture
• California Department of Transportation (CalTrans), District 3
• California Native Plant Society, Sacramento Valley Chapter
• California State Parks, Gold River Dist.
• Department of Fish & Game
• Effie Yeaw Nature Center
• Florin Resource Conservation District
• Friends of Folsom Parkway
• Laguna Creek Watershed Council
• Natural Resources Conservation Service, Elk Grove Service Center
• PG&E
• Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency
• Sacramento County Agricultural Commissioner
• Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks, Recreation and Open Space
• Sacramento County Department of Water Resources
• Sacramento County Transporation Department
• Sacramento Municipal Utilities District
• Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District
• Sacramento Weed Warriors
• Teichert
• The Nature Conservancy, Cosumnes River Preserve
• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Central California Area Office
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Stone Lakes Preserve
• Wilbur Ellis

STRATEGIC PLAN

   Strategic Plan Mission & Vision:

• The Sacramento County WMA will reduce the introduction and spread of invasive weeds through coordination and cooperation between signatory groups. The WMA will focus on preventing introduction of new weeds and stopping the expansion of existing populations through control and education projects.
  • Strategic Plan (pdf, 500 KB)
  • Strategic Plan Appendices (pdf, 8 MB)

   Goals:

• Protect and enhance the native biodiversity of Sacramento County ecosystems.
• Maintain and increase the profitability and value of cropland and rangeland.
• Maximize the effectiveness of vegetation management activities and reduce the cost of roadside, park, and waterway maintenance.
• Enhance the recreation experience throughout the County.
• Reduce fire hazard and fire control costs in the County.
• Encourage research and coordination on effective weed management techniques.

   Strategies for Accomplishing Goals:

• Education: Raising Awareness and Outreach
• Prevention: Exclusion and Early Detection
• Information Management: Survey, Inventory and Mapping
• Projects: Weed Management, Restoration, Monitoring and Research
• Administration: Project Funding, WMA Administration and Partnerships

   Priority Weeds:

SACRAMENTO WMA HIGH PRIORITY WEEDS
Scientific Name	Common Name	Cal-IPC Rank/ CDFA Rating	Notes
Acroptilon repens	Russian knapweed	Mod/B	Few locations along roadsides and fields in Natomas Area
Arundo donax	Giant reed	High/B	Priority for management in riparian areas.
Centaurea solstitialis	Yellow starthistle	High/C	Management in high quality habitat and recreation areas.
Chondrilla juncea	Skeleton weed	MOD/A	Not a priority for mapping and control in Sacramento or foothill counties according to CDFA, weed of concern for counties around Sacramento
Cuscuta japonica	Japanese dodder	--/A	Active eradication program in place.
Cytisus scoparius	Scotch broom	High/C	Not much of this, keep on priority list, abundant in upstream watersheds.
Dittrichia graveolens	Stinkwort	MOD*/NL	Project priority. This weed is the subject of a mapping and eradication program started in 2009.
Eichornia crassipes	Water hyacinth	High*/C	Priority in Delta waterways, still actively sold in nurseries.
Genista monspessulana	French broom	HIGH/C	Scattered locations, sometimes sold in nursery trade, upstream of American River Parkway.
Lepidium latifolium	Perennial pepperweed	High/B	Heavy infestations in the southern part of the County, spreading along roadsides and through contaminated materials.
Ludwigia spp.	Water primrose	HIGH/NL	Project priority. Eradication target for mosquito and vector control work. Spreading in agricultural ditches and Laguna Creek
Sapium sebiferum	Chinese tallow	MOD*/NL	Starting to naturalize in the American River Parkway, Dry Creek and other riparian areas.
Sesbania punicea	Red sesbania	HIGH*/B	Project priority. Target of active eradication program in Dry Creek, abundant in Steelhead, Robla and Arcade creeks.
Spartium junceum	Spanish broom	High/C	Scattered locations in American River Parkway, sometimes sold in nursery trade.


Status Definitions
Cal-IPC Ranks (Cal-IPC Inventory Categories) definitions can be located here.
CDFA Rating definitions can be located here.



   Weed Watch List:

SACRAMENTO WMA WEED WATCH LIST
Scientific Name	Common Name	Cal-IPC Rank/ CDFA Rating	Notes
Ailanthus altissima	Tree of Heaven	MOD/C	Concern in natural areas.
Centaurea calcitrapa	Purple starthistle	MOD/B	A few recorded locations, more abundant in Solano County.
Centaurea sulphurea	Sicilian starthistle	--/B	Expanding outside known location in Folsom.
Cynara cardunculus	Artichoke thistle	MOD/B	In southern Delta, could expand north.
Glyceria declinata	Manna grass	MOD/NL	Invading vernal pools.
Lythrum salicaria	Purple loosestrife	HIGH/B	Small populations are not being actively managed.
Robinia pseudoacacia	Black locust	LIMITED/NL	Concern in riparian areas.
Rubus (armeniacus) discolor	Himalaya blackberry	HIGH/NL	Concern in high-value habitats, widespread.
Taeniatherum caput-medusae	Medusahead	HIGH/C	Widespread, concern in high quality rangeland in eastern County.
Tamarisk sp.	Tamarisk	HIGH - VAR/B	Only a few populations on American River Parkway, could become more widespread.
Tribulus terrestris	Puncture vine	NL/C	Concern to bikers, abundant along Sacramento River bike trail.

   WMA Priority Action Items from 2009 Strategic Plan:

• Develop list of horticultural plants of concern in Sacramento County
• Develop an outreach and education strategy linked to prevention, exclusion and early detection
• Develop preliminary Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) action plan
• Upgrade the available weed data to a more user-friendly format such as Google Earth
• Work with grant writer and WMA members to find additional funding sources
• Coordinate land management groups to more effectively manage weeds
• Hold one field meeting per year
• Coordinate efforts with Bay Area Early Detection Network (BAEDN)

PROJECTS

   Laguna Creek Watershed Weed Management Program

• Tamarisk, Chinese tallow, pampassgrass, giant reed, water hyacinth, milk thistle and yellow starthistle were removed from six locations within the Laguna Creek Watershed by volunteers and professionals. Weed mapping was extended to include the Upper Laguna Creek Corridor. Additionally a weed monitoring training workshop was conducted for the Elk Grove Unified School District and local scout group leaders.

Sacramento WMA project locations and data sets. Download PDF (1MB)

   Robla Creek Mapping & Weed Removal

• Initiated in 2008, this project targets the removal of mature and seedling red sesbania infestations throughout Robla, Magpie and Steelhead Creeks. In addition, volunteer removed over one million seed pods within these waterhsheds in just two years. Download 1-page project summary here.

   Effie Yeaw Nature Center Weed Reduction

• This project focused on removing weeds from two-acres surrounding the Effie Yeaw Nature Center. Weed removal in this area improved wildlife habitat, increased the Nature Center's ability to educate the public about natrual enviromnets and reduced the threat of wildfire for the Nature Center. Download 1-page project summary here.

   Merten Ranch yellow starthistle control

• 100 acres of yellow starthistle were treated using a helicopter herbicide application, in a cost-share between the owner of Merten Ranch and the Sacramento WMA.

   American River Parkway

• The WMA funded the purchase of weed removal tools like weed wrenches for weed removal work on the American River Parkway. Weeds like yellow starthistle, red sesbania, and arundo were mapped using GPS and aerial photos. A controlled burn for yellow starthistle was also carried out. The WMA worked with the Sacramento Weed Warriors to complete the project.

RESOURCES



   Brochures

• WMA Brochure
• Japanese Dodder
• Red Sesbania (created by the Sacramento Weed Warriors)
• Chinese Tallow (created by the Sacramento Weed Warriors)
• Arundo (created by the Sacramento Weed Warriors)
• Spanish Broom (created by the Sacramento Weed Warriors)
• Pampas Grass (created by the Sacramento Weed Warriors)


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