USFS Uses Herbicide In Lake Tahoe Area To Fight Invasive Plants

The Forest Service at Lake Tahoe says a program using herbicides to control invasive species is working and will continue this year.

A dozen acres will be treated at 70 spots around the lake, targeting small infestations of the nearly 500 known invasive species.

Forest Service Botanist and program manager, Courtney Rowe says there are a lot of questions about using the herbicides.

“It’s like hey you are going to use something that some people consider a poison but we are using it in a very limited quantity and a very targeted manner against a very few number of species that if we don’t get them under control could have very catastrophic effects," says Rowe. 

Rowe says the Forest Service has studied various eradication methods including pulling weeds. But underground root systems make that method useless on some species. The herbicides Rowe uses are custom-blends that she says are safe for water and have a minimal impact on native plants. She said the program could be expanded in years to come.