Some plants are “weedy,” but noxious weeds are in a special category. These are non-native, invasive and formally designated by Federal, State or County governments. They have the ability to displace native plants and take over, forming homogeneous stands across the landscape. It’s estimated that there are at least 1.4 million acres in Colorado that are infested.

Since at least 1999 the Ecology Team has been committed to doing our part to keep these unwanted visitors our of our mountain neighborhood, and to stopping their spread beyond our borders.

People are always welcome to join our all-volunteer Noxious Weed Committee–no experience needed! We provide site assessments, information, and small amounts of herbicide for private owners. We also manage noxious weeds in community greenbelts and rights of way as funding is available.

We follow the priorities in the guidelines set out by the State of Colorado and we work closely with the Larimer County Weed District (LCWD).

Larimer County is our closest partner for local information as well as enforcement. We rarely ask for enforcement actions, but the County does have the ability to work with landowners for compliance with local laws.

Glacier View Meadows has 18 noxious weed species recorded, as of 2023. The five we most commonly see are

• canada thistle
• musk thistle
• diffuse knapweed
• common mullein
• cheatgrass.

Weed Management

In addition to these most common species, the NWC keeps an eye out for less common noxious weeds that show up. The intent is to detect them early and respond as rapidly as possible before they spread. We never go uninvited on a landowners property. Our primary response when less common weeds are detected is to contact landowners with a courtesy letter. Red Feather Lakes Road (CR74E) is a real vector for spread of weeds, leaving adjoining properties at continual risk. The less common weeds we find include sulfur cinquefoil, dalmation toadflax, leafy spurge, and houndstongue.

There are many ways to manage weeds, some more effective than others depending on the species and the extent of the problem. Some weeds such as musk thistle and mullein have weak roots which means they can be readily pulled or dug without the need for herbicide. Cheatgrass can also be pulled but only on small patches.

For information about managing the five primary noxious weeds here in GVM, see fact sheets and brochures on the Resources page.

For more information about the five primary noxious weeds we see in GVM, click on the arrows under this Weed page.

We’ve also put together a short manual for further reading.