May 4, 2001
Press Contact:
Heidi
Hopkins, Eastern Sierra Policy Director
Mono Lake Committee
(760) 647-6595
www.monolake.org
For Immediate Release
Volunteers needed to remove tamarisk from Rush Creek
Invasive tamarisk is spreading in the Rush Creek delta. The Mono Lake Committee is hosting a volunteer tamarisk-removal day on Saturday, May 19, during National River Clean-Up Week. This volunteer event is one of several approaches being taken to stem the spread of tamarisk in the Mono Basin. Resource agencies involved in the overall eradication effort include the L.A. Department of Water and Power, the U.S. Forest Service and the Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve.
Tamarisk is one of those plants that even if you haven’t heard of it, you’ve probably seen it—maybe even in the Mono Basin.
Also referred to as salt cedar, it is a woody, deciduous tree or shrub with numerous, small, 5-petaled, pink flowers and feathery bright green leaves. It may sound harmless enough, but this Eurasian exotic plant, introduced in the early 1800s as an ornamental used for erosion control, has become a nightmare for restoration efforts across the West.
Since its introduction, tamarisk has quickly spread into natural wetlands and riparian areas where it tends to form dense thickets along streams—displacing native trees such as cottonwood and willow. Its life history characteristics are what make it so successful and so difficult to manage.
Tamarisk can out-compete native plants for water—a single, large tamarisk can transpire up to 300 gallons of water per day—severely limiting available water for native plants. Tamarisk seeds fast and furiously—up to 500,000 tiny seeds are produced per plant. Seeds are wind-dispersed and can germinate in less than 24 hours. It also spreads by root, trunk, and branch sprouts. Tamarisk can survive in salty soils because it eliminates excess salt from the tips of its leaves and increases the salinity of the soil when leaves are shed, further reducing the ability of native plants to compete.
Help eliminate this invasive species on Rush Creek by joining us on Saturday, May 19. Meet at the Mono Lake Committee Information Center and Bookstore in Lee Vining at 9 a.m. to carpool to the site. Work will continue until noon. Water and snacks will be provided. Wear clothes appropriate for the day’s weather, and plan to get your feet wet! For more information, call Heidi Hopkins or Jeff Darlington at 647-6595.
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This press release may be downloaded from www.monolake.org/press
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