What is a
Noxious Weed?
Any plant designated by Federal, State or County government as injurious to public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife or property.
Outbreak Map
Find Noxious weed outbreaks in your area
Noxious weeds pose unique dangers
Explore the categories below to learn more about the types of weed that could affect you most.
Agriculture
Invasive weeds are taking over swathes of agricultural lands across the state. Infestations not only eat into farmers’ profits, but can also degrade the quality of the soil and water we use to produce our food.
Livestock
Noxious weeds increasingly encroach on our pastures and rangeland. Hundreds of plants can be toxic and even deadly to livestock. Proper weed identification and strategic management are key to strong, healthy animals and a thriving ranching industry.
River & Watershed
Plants included in this category are a particular threat to our rivers, lakes, wetlands, and acequias.
Wildfires
Did you know some invasive weeds have a symbiotic relationship with wildfires? These fire-loving plants thrive in the post-fire environment, and in turn foster more frequent and intense wildfires across the landscape.
Children & Pets
Both children and family pets are naturally curious about plants, but some can harm our small ones by touch alone. The plants included in this category should not be located where unsupervised children or pets are at play.
Wildlife & Ecosystems
Our native wildlife has for time immemorial depended on an abundance of healthy native plant communities. Invasive weeds threaten wildlife by replacing their typical diet with lower quality, sometimes toxic forage.
Horses
Of the invasive plants spreading over our landscape, some are particularly toxic to horses! From skin abrasions to chewing disease and even death, horses are at-risk for a variety of equine ailments as a consequence of ingesting noxious weeds.
Native Plants
Native plants belong in our landscape! While they cannot be technically called invasive and do not cause harm to our ecosystems, there are times that a landowner may need to control the spread of these plants. Learn more about the benefits these plants may provide, as well as how to responsibly control their populations.
