Description
Title: AN ORDINANCE relating to the Cedar River Municipal Watershed; amending the Secondary Use Policies, adopted by Ordinance 114632, to provide for the limited application of the herbicide imazapyr to treat invasive knotweed species; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
Summary
The proposed legislation amends a 1989 ordinance to allow the limited use of the herbicide imazapyr for controlling invasive knotweed in the Cedar River Municipal Watershed. The legislation addresses the ecological threat knotweed poses to water quality, fish, and wildlife by displacing native vegetation. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) seeks to extend this herbicide application for six years, as previous manual control methods proved ineffective and costly. The legislation is crucial for maintaining the ecological health of the watershed, which supplies drinking water to 1.6 million residents, including vulnerable communities. Financially, it is expected to yield long-term savings compared to manual control methods, ultimately supporting broader invasive weed management efforts.