Overview

Arundo donax, also known as the giant reed, is a bamboo-like plant that grows to heights of 20 to 30 feet.  The plant is native to China, and was introduced to the Santa Ana River basin after Europeans arrived in California and has been used extensively in recent times for bank stabilization.  The plant grows along the washes and tributaries of the Santa Ana River.  In the year 2001, there was an estimate of 10,000 acres of Arundo in the watershed.

This invasive species is a problem because it uses large quantities of water, it is a fire hazard, it is a hazard to bridges and other facilities along to waterways, it exacerbates flood potential by choking waterways, and it destroys native habitats for threatened and endangered species. Arundo wastes 30,000 acre-feet (9.8 billion gallons) of water every year.  For all of these reasons, Arundo eradication has been identified as a priority by water agencies, Flood Control districts, environmental groups, and other stakeholders in the Santa Ana watershed.

COMING SOON: Map of Arundo Occurrence

Team Arundo

Stakeholders in the watershed concerned with Arundo have been meeting to address issues since 1992.  SAWPA has taken the role of facilitator for this group, which is known as Team Arundo.  Any agency or interested party may be a member of Team Arundo.  Current active members of Team Arundo include SAWPA, Riverside County Parks and Open Space District, the Santa Ana Watershed Association of Resource Conservation Districts (SAWA), and Orange County Public Facilities and Resources District (PFRD).

The team has developed a 5-year plan to remove Arundo from the watershed, 2002 is the first year of this program.  Because Arundo can grow back very easily, a dedicated multi-year project is required to not only remove the Arundo, but to ensure that it does not return.

Arundo removal is currently being accomplished as a project under the Costa Machado Water Bond Act of 2000 (Proposition 13). SAWPA is coordinating funding from the State Water Resources Conservation Control Board under Proposition 13.  Removal is being accomplished by the Riverside County Parks and Open Space District, the Santa Ana Watershed Association of Resource Conservation Districts (SAWA), and Orange County Public Facilities and Resources District (PFRD).

Meetings

Team Arundo meets at SAWPA on a monthly basis as needed.  There is not a regular schedule for meetings; please contact SAWPA for more information.

Slideshow

View a slideshow on the Arundo problem and what is being done about it. Warning: this slideshow is a large file and is not suitable for download over slow (i.e., dial-up) Internet connections.

Documents/Events

On November 4, 2002, Team Arundo hosted an event which was attended by Congressman Ken Calvert and others to demonstrate the methods and progress in Arundo removal in the watershed. The event, located at Hidden Valley in Riverside, California, was attended by over 60 stakeholders and dignitaries.  Click here to view a slideshow on the event.  Also, the presentation materials from the meeting are also available:

• Wanted Poster

• Poster Board 1

• Poster Board 2

• Poster Board 3

The following documents are also available:

• Arundo Removal Status Report (July 2002)

• Arundo Removal Protocol (Main Document)

• Arundo Removal Protocol (Appendices)

Copyright: Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, 2002
Last modified 07/23/2004