Russian olive and tamarisk trees are being removed from the banks of the Price River south of the 100 North bridge crossing. The project started as an effort by the Price River Enhancement Committee to help improve water quality.
The project has evolved into a greater effort to reduce fire hazards and enhance the river corridor. The committee is a partnership of private, local, state and federal groups,
The project was funded by a Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands national grant. Additional funds are being sought to remove trees from other areas along the river.
The river’s concentrations of salts called total dissolved solids or TDS are too high. Much of this water quality impairment is due to the mancos shale soils containing salts left by an ancient sea that once covered the area. Other sources of TDS include irrigation runoff, deep percolation of water into the shale layers, storm runoff, erosion and tamarisk.
Tamarisk and Russian olive trees were brought into the west to reduce erosion along stream banks. The trees have invaded and crowded out native vegetation.
For more information regarding the projects, Carbon County residents may contact watershed coordinator Roger Barton at 435-381-2300, ext. 113.
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