Farmers Hope Beetles Will Devour Soaking Trees
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Social
Farmers in Arizona are Welcoming Beetles That are Wiping out a Tree, which Soaks up Huge Amounts of Water, ConsideringWater Crisis in the Southwest
The tamarisk, or salt cedar, tree is a noxious plant that devours large amounts of water and is detrimental to native plants. It was introduced in the United States in 1823 and used to stabilize riverbanks and to prevent erosion, according to theSaltcedar Beetle Project at Sul Ross State University in Texas.
Because of its water-loving capacity, efforts have been made to eradicate the tree, including tree removal and introduction of a beetle that eats tamarisk leaves to kill the plant in portions of the Southwest.
No Tamarisk leaf beetles have been introduced in Arizona, but they have come from Colorado and Utah where they were introduced in the last decade, according toThe New York Times in its July 14 edition.
Farmers want the beetles to attack the plants to help reduce the effects of an extended drought by keeping the water from the trees, The Times reported.
However, it isn't clear on what would be the potential water savings from tamarisk removal and restoration of native species, according to theCentral Arizona Project (CAP), which manages the water resources along central and southern Arizona's Colorado River.
The Colorado River and its tributaries provide water to about 40 million people.
CAP and other partners are developing a research project to better understand specific water savings from implementing tamarisk removal and restoration.
After flooding affected a Texas tamarisk beetle project in 2008, Sul Ross researchers said the project is now showing results with more than 90 miles of tamarisk defoliated along the Rio Grande River.
Rainfall is needed to turn around drought conditions and its effects including water shortage concerns, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Dale Mohler and Western Weather Expert Ken Clark said.
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