NEWS RELEASE
South Dakota Department of Agriculture
Media Contact: Darwin Kurtenbach or Ron Moehring
800-228-5254 or 605-773-3724
For immediate release: Monday, May 17, 2004

Salt Cedar (Tamarix) Declared a State Noxious Weed

By emergency declaration, the South Dakota Weed and Pest Control Commission and Secretary of Agriculture Larry Gabriel have placed salt cedar (Tamarix aphylla, T. chinensis, T. gallica, T. parviflora and T. ramosissima) on the state noxious weed list.  This listing means that for the next 180 days, any landowner with an infestation of salt cedar must control the infestation to prevent or limit the growth, spread, or development of salt cedar.  Also, salt cedar may not be sold or transported in or around the state during this declaration.

Salt cedar is a very opportunistic invasive, crowding out native plants.  Reports of over 2,000 trees per acre are common.  It is very tolerant to drought, flooding, and fire.  The tree brings salt up from the soil profile and exudes it from the leaves depositing salt crystal on the ground, inhibiting the germination of native plants and increasing the salinity of the water supply.  This leads to a loss of bio-diversity and reduces habitat for native animals.  Wildfires are more frequent in stands containing high amounts of salt cedar.  The increased population density of salt cedar contributes to heavy fuel loads in infested areas, promoting wildfires.

Over the years, salt cedar has spread to almost every river, creek, stream and wash in the Southwest and is now spreading in Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota.

Salt cedar can dry up streams, lakes, dams, and ponds.  A mature tree can transpire up to 200 gallons of water a day or twice the amount used by the average person in the United States.

“I would say this (salt cedar) is the number one threat to riparian ecosystem health in the western United States," said C. Jack DeLoach, USDA Temple, Texas.

Salt cedar spreads vegetatively, by adventitious roots or submerged stems.  It also reproduces sexually; each flower can produce thousands of tiny seeds that are contained in a small capsule usually adorned with a tuft of hair that aids in wind dispersal.  Seeds can also be dispersed by water.  Seedlings require extended periods of soil saturation for establishment.

This summer the South Dakota Department of Agriculture will survey Eastern South Dakota looking for naturalized infestations of salt cedar.  After this survey, the Weed and Pest Commission will revisit the salt cedar issue to see if it warrants keeping salt cedar on the statewide list or having it remain on the local noxious list.

GOOD NEIGHBORS CONTROL NOXIOUS WEEDS!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Your local Weed and Pest Supervisor, Extension Educator or the
South Dakota Department of Agriculture
Division of Agricultural Services
523 Capital Avenue, Foss Building
Pierre, SD 57501-3182
Phone: 605-773-3796
Fax: 605-773-3481
South Dakota Internet Home Page:
www.state.sd.us

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