Celebrating Small Grants
Volunteers at the District’s Pollinator Week Quarry Cove European Beach Grass Pull Event, future site of Small Grant funded pollinator enhancement project
The District has taken on a new role over the last year facilitating the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) Small Grants Program as the Team lead. This grant program has been largely underutilized in the area for the last several years primarily due to administrative hurdles that have since been resolved by OWEB.
This biennium, 5 projects were approved for a total of $74,465 in funding for conservation implementation projects including meadow and riparian restoration and livestock exclusion fencing to improve water quality. All of the approved projects this biennium are in Lincoln County supporting work on private, public and tribal lands. A new change is coming in the next biennium with the inclusion of eligible team members. Any currently eligible OWEB applicant can apply for the upcoming round of funding anticipated to begin Fall 2025. The new round of funding has yet to be approved by the OWEB board, but the total request is $150,000 total with a per project limit of $20,000. If you are interested in learning more contact Tyler Clouse, Small Grant Team 3 lead at inifo@lincolnswcd.org.
The Weed Wire: Thistles
Spiny thistles are a common site throughout Lincoln County, taking on several different shapes and sizes. Differentiating these species can be daunting, but getting to know the two main invasive species and our most common native thistle will cover most of your bases.
Canada Thistle, AKA Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Pictured above, Canada thistle is also known more appropriately as creeping thistle. This epithet accurately describes the species’ growth habit of sending out new shoots from its long lateral roots, allowing it to form large, dense clusters. It also avoids misattribution of its native range; “Canada” thistle is also invasive in Canada!
History and Native Range: Cirsium arvense originates from Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. It has widely been introduced elsewhere in the world, likely as a contaminant in cereal crop seeds. Even within its native range, creeping thistle is often considered as a destructive weed due to its capacity for aggressive growth.
Identification: Creeping thistle’s dense growth habit is one reliable way of differentiating it from other thistles. Individual plants can be identified by their relatively small purple flowers (less than 1 inch across) and leaves with smaller spines and no fine hairs.
Photo by Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board
Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)
History and Native Range: Bull thistle shares the same origins as creeping thistle, and may similarly be considered a noxious weed in its home range- however, in Scotland it is celebrated as the national flower!
Identification: Compared to creeping thistle, everything about bull thistle is bigger. Bigger rosettes, bigger spines, bigger flowers, bigger plant. Flowers reach up to 2 inches across, and the maximum height is up to 6 feet. Like many thistles, the flowers are pinkish-purple.
However, bull thistle does closely resemble the native thistle, Cirsium edule (edible thistle). Both are of similar height, flower color, and flower size. Two main distinctions are that the base of the flowers of edible thistle have a cobwebbiness that bull thistle lacks, and the stems and leaves of edible thistle are far less spiny than bull thistle- if you can easily grip the stem without being poked, leave it be!
Above: Bull thistle, Cirsium vulgare. Bottom: Edible thistle, Cirsium edule
In the photo below, edible thistle leaves are shown on the left, and bull thistle leaves on the right.
The Problem Here: While all three species of thistles grow readily in pastures or areas with recently disturbed ground, bull thistle and creeping thistle populations explode rapidly, swallowing up open space in a way that the native edible thistle does not. The spinier non-natives thistles are much less palatable to livestock than the native species, and can severely degrade grazing lands where they are not kept in check.
Manual Control: Bull thistle can be controlled with relative ease by hand-pulling or digging. So long as the first several inches of the tap root are removed, the plant should not grow back. Use heavy gloves when pulling by the stem to avoid being pricked.
On the other hand, established patches of creeping thistle will develop large underground networks of roots, making them impossible to remove by simple pulling. If manual control is the only option, lateral roots must also be dug up and removed. Some sources indicate that frequent, intense soil tilling over a period of years may be successful at eradicating creeping thistle patches.
While not an effective eradication method, the spread of non-native thistles can be controlled by mowing the plants down before they can produce seeds.
Biological Control: Several species of weevils and one species of fly have been approved by the Oregon Department of Agriculture for the control of creeping thistle, while another species of fly has been used for the control of bull thistle.
Herbicides: Herbicides can be used to control the growth and spread of invasive thistles. Contact your local agricultural extension agent or soil and water conservation district office for specific treatments. Resources for effective chemicals for treatment of invasive thistles can be found below.
Links to Information and Studies:
Upcoming Events
Conservation Kayak Series Alsea Edition
Join The District and our group facilitators as we kayak the Alsea River!
July 15th, 10 AM to 2 PM the District and partners will be floating the Alsea River. The route is still in flex as we watch the water levels and coordinate with partners. RSVP with us to make sure you are up to date on the current starting location and any changes.
We will be discussing riparian and upland restoration efforts in the area with the US Forest Service, Nature Resource Conservation Service, MidCoast Watersheds Council and Lincoln SWCD.
Be prepared to be in the elements for several hours. Please bring enough food, water, sunscreen, and other supplies you will need for the day. Light snacks will be provided. Keep an eye out for announcements on further installments for this series!
Partner Spotlight
MidCoast Watersheds Council
