Whew! I made it through and stayed in my boat!
That exhilarating and accomplished feeling of successfully paddling through Mule Creek Canyon, a narrow canyon with swift-moving whitewater on the Wild & Scenic Rogue River. Next up: Blossom Bar, the only Class IV rapid on this section of the river.
Let’s pull aside and scout our route out.
Climbing up the boulders to get a good view of the safe route through Blossom Bar, the group of rafters and kayakers notice mats of green weeds clogging up sections of the recommended route. Down past both Blossom Bar and Devil’s Staircase, what appears to be barricade of green severely hinders a Jerry’s Rogue Jets boat from returning downriver with its passengers.
What are these weeds?
Water Primrose and Parrotfeather, two of the emerging aquatic weeds on the Rogue River, from Whitehorse County Park just outside of Grants Pass and making their way into the Wild & Scenic. With releases from adjacent ponds into creeks and the Applegate River, and eventually into the Rogue River, these two weeds easily multiply by fragmentation. Simply breaking off a piece of Water Primrose and allowing it to float downstream gives that plant a chance to take hold in another section.
Images courtesy of Tualatin Soil & Water Conservation District: top images show water primrose, bottom images show parrotfeather.
How do we stop these aquatic weeds from taking over?
A newly formed group, the Rogue Aquatic Invasives Network (RAIN), is comprised of invasive weeds experts, herbicide applicators, environmentalists, and river guides that are working together to help inform the river recreation community about these weeds. RAIN is currently working on a marketing strategy to gain momentum on recognition of and control measures for these two weeds. Additionally, efforts to organize a Rogue River float to remove mats of these weeds following a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) technique is in the works.
What should the river recreation community do if they see these weeds?
Take note of the location(s) and approximately how large of an area these weeds cover. Ideally, if you have cellphone coverage, using your Smartphone to log your findings on iNaturalist is a great start. After that, make sure to reach out to the Oregon Invasive Species Hotline. Once this entry is made, local weeds experts in the area will be notified and able to respond.
*One year and one month later*
Ah yeah! Made it through again!
Finishing up the stretch from Mule Creek Canyon to the start of Blossom Bar, the rafting group plans to scout the Class IV rapid again, making sure that the route hasn’t shifted. Climbing to the top of the boulders and looking out, the whitewater is clear of green weeds, and none are seen below Devil’s Staircase. The efforts of RAIN, the BLM, and the river recreation community have made a tremendously positive impact on the Wild & Scenic Rogue River, as well as upriver in the recreational section. Thanks to the hard work of carefully removing these weed mats, the river will continue to flow as it should, fish and other aquatic species will thrive, and the beauty of the Rogue will remain.
Help us fight these aquatic "monsters!" Check your boats and report any sightings of these weeds. Image courtesy of the Western Invasives Network (WIN).
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