In the summer of 2019, surveys by boat were conducted along ~15 miles of the North Santiam to learn the extent of the infestation. Rich Miller from Portland State University assisted with the data collection and management.

4 sites were treated totaling ~36 acres on both private and public property. The City of Salem provided work crews to hand-pull a 2-acre pond just upstream of the Geren Island water intake for the city drinking water. It took a crew of ~10 people 6 days to pull most of the water primrose. In Lyons, several large ponds near John Neal Memorial Park were treated by licensed contractors from Integrated Resources Management using herbicides. 2 smaller sites were also treated with a mix of herbicides and hand pulling.

Educational materials were created and sent to 165 landowners along the river and near the treatment sites. A poster was also created for placement at the public ponds in Lyons.

In early 2020, a plan was developed and grant funds were awarded to expand treatments and survey areas based on the previously collected data.  Treatments were expanded to include private properties surrounding John Neal Memorial Park, 2 other infestations along the North Santiam that had been discovered during surveys, and 2 aquatic weeds were added to the treatment list: parrotfeather and yellow flag iris.  

During the 2019-2020 fiscal year we developed and sent more outreach materials including letters asking 17 landowners for permission to survey and 16 landowners for permission to treat water primrose on their land. Treatments and surveys for the 2020 season didn’t begin until after the end of the fiscal year.

Surveys and treatments continued in the 2020-2021 fiscal year and will continue into the autumn of 2021 under current funding.