- Starting July 22, Oxbow Slough in Minto-Brown Island Park will be closed periodically for herbicide treatments to remove invasive Ludwigia.
- Ludwigia forms as a dense mat reducing habitat for wildlife.
- Learn more at Restoring the Willamette River
Salem, Ore. — This summer, Oxbow Slough in Minto-Brown Island Park will undergo treatment to remove the invasive plant, Ludwigia hexapetala, as part of a new five-year partnership with Willamette Riverkeeper. This effort mirrors the successful project previously completed in Willamette Slough over the past four years.
Treatments are scheduled to begin Monday, July 22, through Friday, August 2, with a second series of treatments scheduled Monday, August 26 through Friday, August 30, weather dependent. This marks the first year of a five-year treatment cycle aimed at reducing Ludwigia hexapetala, also known as Uruguayan water primrose, from Oxbow Slough.
Visitors to Minto-Brown Park are advised to stay out of the slough during treatment times to avoid possible exposure. Treated plants will be marked with a blue-green dye to show areas treated. While the herbicide is taken up by the plants within 24 hours, blue dye may be visible for up to two weeks.
Ludwigia forms in dense mats that limit recreation and reduce habitat for wildlife. While the plant may appear attractive with its yellow flowers, it poses significant ecological threats to the Willamette River by choking waterways, degrading water quality, and harming native fish and wildlife.
Learn more about the efforts to restore Oxbow Slough and similar projects in the Willamette Slough by visiting the City of Salem’s website Restoring the Willamette River.
