Tamarisk Infestation Comparison for River Basins in Colorado estimates courtesy Tamarisk Coalition

These non-native phreatophyte trees have infested much of the riparian lands and are moving into the upland areas within the watershed.  They are causing serious impacts to an already limited water resource in an over-appropriated basin.  The Tamarisk Coalition has estimated that current water losses in the watershed from tamarisk, above and beyond what native vegetation would use, is 76,600 acre-feet per year.  If this problem is not addressed, future water losses from “infilling” only (no expansion from existing infested areas) are estimated to be 198,000 acre-feet per year!