Frye Mesa has been officially sprayed with herbicides to eradicate the infamous resin bush.

Dave Fisher of the Coronado National Resource Conservation Service made the announcement on Tuesday night during a Gila Watershed Partnership meeting.

"We got our aerial application completed," he said. The news delighted Partnership members and visitors because the plant poses a threat to all vegetation around it.

The noxious plant is known to kill surrounding vegetation and cause allergic reactions in some humans. Fisher and other residents in the Gila Valley were concerned that the plant would reach a watershed and spread to agricultural areas.

He said a helicopter was used to spray 1,000 acres with the herbicides Tordon-22 and Reclaim. Fisher told the Courier this summer that the herbicides are known for sticking to the plants they are sprayed on. The results of the spraying take about two weeks to see, he said.

In August, Donna Matthews of the Natural Resources Conservation Service explained that a properly-flown helicopter could apply the herbicides on the targeted areas without unwanted spreading.

Fisher said on Tuesday that the spraying was done in late February while the plant was in late bloom. This made it easier for the pilot to spot the plant, he said.

Occasionally the pilot had problems with too much wind. Wind concerned Fisher and Matthews because it could blow the herbicide to unwanted areas.

The limited amount of funding also meant that the helicopter could only be in the Gila Valley for a limited amount of time.

Therefore, a calm couple of days were needed to get the most efficient use of grant money.

The helicopter crew was "very conscientious" with the spraying of the poisons, Fisher said. He added that Gila Resources donated 10,000 gallons of water to the project.

Mapping

Lynne Fisher of the Bureau of Reclamation and Kristine Uhlman of the University of Arizona spoke about development of fluvial mapping systems. The two also brought new maps to the watershed meetings that documented tributaries and other geological features in Graham and Greenlee counties.

The maps were combinations of less-detailed maps that had never been summarized before, therefore giving better representation of what landscape is actually there, Uhlman said.

The combinations of this older map data was done by a group named Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials.

Originally started on the East Coast to educate local officials about natural resources, it is now being employed in the Western U.S. to do the same with special regards to water issues.

Members of the public can find out more about the Gila Watershed's physical, biological and social features by going to www.srnr.arizona.edu/nemo.

Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) representative John Fortune also brought maps to the meeting that showed how many documented wells there are in both counties.

The department's well locations and numbers were based on permits that landowners must apply for before digging and pumping from the well, he said.

Uhlman also led off discussions about mapping grants that offer the use of National Aeronautics and Space Administration's satellites. The use of the satellites could prove useful in the identification of the salt-cedar (tamarisk) plant.

During the fall, the plant is known to turn bright red and orange, which makes it stand out on color satellite imagery. Funding for satellite mapping projects may be available through a controversial bill that comes from the White House known as House Bill 2025.

ADWR planning manager Tom Whitmer warned that the legislation is being hotly debated by Congress. He suggested looking to other sources for funding.

Uhlman said the University of Arizona is developing software to adjust to changes in the land. This software will attempt to predict the outcome of natural disasters and other factors that may change the natural landscape, she said.

Help from above

Whitmer gave an update on the Governor's Drought Task Force. He said the task force will travel through the state with the goal of having a draft drought report ready by this summer.

He also mentioned that Governor Napolitano has taken an interest in rural water issues, which could mean increases in funding and state involvement with management programs.

The increased cooperation could also mean more cooperation between Napolitano's staff and local water groups, such as the Gila Watershed Partnership, he said.

Whitmer said Senators Jon Kyl and John McCain are also actively involved in the development of rural water groups. They are considering giving these groups funding for specific projects.

"One of the things they'd like to see is how to preserve perennial streams," he said. Whitmer said he heard this news while attending a meeting with the two Senators. The Gila Watershed Partnership was discussed during the meeting.

"That's a big plus for us, I think," Whitmer said.

Retirement

Mike Holleran announced that he has retired from his job and is leaving the area. Partnership members who nominated him to the Gila Box Advisory Board were told that he had withdrawn his application.

To contact John Kamin, call 428-2560 (ext. 240) or e-mail him at johnk@eacourier.com.