Efforts to remove invasive giant reed in Arizona rivers and lakes continues with Department of Forestry grants

When Arundo grows, it creates a root base around native plants, causing an uplift by raising plants and disrupting the natural floodplain, said Lauren Monheim, program manager for Watershed Management Group’s River Run Network. “It also changes how a river flows because it creates a thick wall, making the water squeeze through a smaller gap.”

The best way to get rid of a giant reed plant is to dig it out by its roots or do a “cut-stump treatment” where the plant is cut near the base and sprayed with herbicide if the roots are too thick to dig up, Sommers said. But the plant, which resembles bamboo, can be aggressive when replanting itself, especially if not disposed of properly.