Short Recap on Strawberry Creek Canyon

This article was originally published in The Midden – Great Basin National Park: Vol. 21, No. 1, Summer 2021.

Park staff survey and treat nonnative plants using a backpack sprayer for targeted herbicide application.

NPS Photo by Julie Long

By Julie Long, Biological Science Technician

In 2016, a lightning-ignited fire burned over 2,700 acres of the Strawberry Creek watershed in Great Basin National Park. Park biologists have partnered with the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Bureau of Land Management, and other agencies to treat, restore, and monitor the area post-fire.

Over the past four years, park staff have performed vegetation surveys along with fish population and habitat surveys, completed aerial and hand seeding using a native seed mix, and monitored and treated invasive plant species. Implementing restoration strategies not only prevents the establishment of invasive plant species and limits soil erosion, but it also supports the establishment and persistence of native vegetation, wildlife, and fish populations.

Strawberry Creek Restoration

Left image
The upper meadow in Strawberry Creek four months after the fire in 2016.
Credit: NPS Photo by Meg Horner

Right image
The upper meadow in Strawberry Creek three years post-fire.
Credit: NPS Photo by Julie Long

Park staff perform manual treatments.

NPS Photo by Julie Long

Learning More about Weeds

Pre-fire there was: musk thistle, bull thistle, Canada thistle, whitetop, spotted knapweed, horehound, and cheatgrass. After the fire we found new invasive plant infestations that were not recorded before the fire. Those species are sow thistle and houndstongue (AKA gypsy flower).
What are the most common weeds in Strawberry? Most common weeds in Strawberry are bull thistle, musk thistle, cheatgrass, and whitetop. Strawberry Canyon is the only area in the park (that we know of) that has whitetop which was present pre- and post-fire.

What is the most common weed in the rest of the Park? Bull thistle What is the first line of defense against weeds? Early detection and rapid response are essential when preventing the establishment of nonnative populations.
What is the hardest weed to eliminate? That’s a tough question to answer...but in my experience, it has been cheatgrass. Invasive plants spread rapidly and compete with native vegetation for water, light, and nutrients. They each have their own way for survival based on their genetic material. Perennial plants may also be the hardest to eradicate due to some of their specific adaptations such as: extensive root systems and the ability to live short or long lives compared to annual plants.