Black Henbane

Weed Control Program

The weed control program is of primary importance to the County. It involves control, eradication, and prevention of noxious and prohibited noxious weeds within the County.

Overview

To ensure our program is effective and proactive the County employs one (1) Environmental Services Supervisor and four (4) Vegetation Management Technicians. Our Vegetation Management Technicians inspect for noxious and prohibited noxious weeds and record their locations in our weed database, they then work with the landowner to help find the best possible solution for eradicating the weed. We record the locations in our database so we can continue to monitor the populations in following years to gauge the effectiveness of the strategies we implement for control.

The Director of Agricultural Services, Manager of Agricultural Services, Environmental Services Supervisor, Agricultural Technicians, and Vegetation Management Technicians are always available to our land owners to offer technical assistance, weed identification services and control program assistance to all landowners within the County of Newell. In cases where weed control is not being done by residents, enforcement under the Weed Control Act of Alberta must be undertaken by law.

Weed control is also implemented by ASB staff on roadsides and municipal owned properties. Weed control along County roadsides is a big priority due to the following reasons:

To allow clear site lines to signs and intersections and make sure wildlife crossing roadways are visible
To reduce snow accumulation, promote road drainage and drying
To facilitate snow removal
To control noxious and prohibited noxious weeds which threaten agriculture

The objective of our roadside spraying program is to eliminate trees, shrubs, and weeds that create problems while leaving a thick growth of herbaceous vegetation to prevent erosion and enhance aesthetic appeal. Methods of weed control are biological control, mechanical control (mowing) and chemical spraying.

The Agricultural Service Board also implements many other weed control programs along the rivers and public lands within the County, within our urban centers and along the CPR tracks.

If you have any questions or think you may have come across a noxious weed, please feel free to contact us at 403-794-2293 or by email hokc@newellmail.ca, we are always happy to lend our assistance.

Noxious Weeds

Common Baby's Breath

The noxious class lists those weeds which, 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 Vegetation Management Technicians are to inventory the designated species and map the locations. The Vegetation Management Technicians shall then notify the Director of Agricultural Services of the problem. 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 on the action. However, if the inspector(s) choose to issue a notice, the recipient is obligated to carry out the directives of the notice.

For more information on these weeds, please check out the fact sheets from the Alberta Invasive Plants Network.

Prohibited Noxious Weeds

The weeds in the prohibited noxious class are those which are known to 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 Vegetation Management Technicians are obligated to inventory the designated species, to map the locations and issue a notice to destroy. The Vegetation Management Technicians are to advise the Director of Agricultural Services and then monitor the site regularly to ensure that the directives of the notice are carried out. If there is non‑compliance, they are obligated to contact the Director of Agricultural Services 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 Vegetation Management Technicians can be anticipated for several years to ensure that there are no recurrences of growth of the weed.

The Weed Control Act stipulates that a person shall destroy a prohibited noxious weed that is on land the person owns or occupies.

For more information on these weeds, please check out the fact sheets from 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 Skeletonweed

Russian Knapweed

Salt Cedar

Saltlover

Scentless Chamomile

Kochia Control “Lunch’n’Learn” Series

This three part Kochia Control Webinar Series was organized by Specials Areas, the County of Vulcan, and the County of Newell with Chinook Applied Research Association.

Part 1: Ag Fieldman Jesse Williams and Deanna Heather, “Why Now? The Story Behind Kochia’s Proliferation & the Challenges Facing Producers & Municipalities” (March 5 2024) > Episode 1: The Biology

Part 2: Jason Lindgreen, “Managing Kochia from Fenceline to Fenceline and Everywhere in Between” (March 12 2024) >

Episode 2: Managing Kochia from Fenceline to Fenceline and Everywhere in Between

Part 3: Adriane Good, “Kochia as Feed: Tips, Tricks, and What it May Mean to Your Operation in the Future” (March 19 2024) > Episode 3: Using Kochia as Feed

Weed Control Program

Overview

Noxious Weeds

Prohibited Noxious Weeds

Kochia Control “Lunch’n’Learn” Series

Official Website of the County of Newell