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Board highlights mapping of 50,000+ acres of Russian olive and frames removal as potential water-savings leverage
Summary
Staff presented county mapping estimating roughly 50,000 acres of Russian olive now (projected 60,000–70,000 when mapping completes) and cited a University of Colorado figure of 32–200 gallons/day per mature tree to argue grant-eligibility for large-scale removal; other members urged caution about precision of the estimates.
Duchesne County staff used county mapping tools to estimate the scope of Russian olive infestations and to quantify potential water savings if invasive trees are removed.
Staff told the board the county currently maps about 50,000 acres of Russian olive and expects that total to rise to 60,000–70,000 acres when mapping is finished. Quoting a University of Colorado breakdown, staff said a mature Russian olive can use “32 to 200 gallons of water per day,” and illustrated how those numbers translate into millions of gallons per acre and acre-feet countywide. Staff argued these estimates could bolster competitive grant applications to fund removal work.
Some members pushed back on the precision of the figures and said high-level estimates will be scrutinized by grant reviewers; staff acknowledged the need for more rigorous measurement and welcomed state or university partners to validate local numbers before large grant proposals proceed.
