An Arundo Runaround?

Surely, but slowly, the spraying of the arundo donax, the highly inflammable and agressively invasive plant that had gradually made its way up Carbon [Canyon] Creek on the Brea side of Carbon Canyon over decades, has made its progress.

Last November's Freeway Complex Fire burned the plants to the ground and this made treatment much easier, because a normal course of action would be the time-consuming and laborious task of cutting the stalks back before spraying. Because, however, the fire did the work of removing the stalks, the regrowth after the fire was the perfect opportunity to spray so that the chemical could make its way through the new growth and down to the roots. If full funding can be secured, a several-year timetable of treatment will, hopefully, lead to the removal of the pesty plant.

EXCEPT, that as of last month, all property owners along the creek, but one, had given their permission for treating the arundo on their property.

The lone exception? Tadeo Hata, the owner of the former La Vida Mineral Springs property, who, it seems, is living in Japan.

So, as the above photographs, taken Wednesday morning, show, the arundo on Mr. Hata's property is growing just fine without hindrance because of the lack of spraying.

Now, hopefully, there'll be a change and Mr. Hata will give his permission for treatment, there being no conceivable reason not to, but, for now, success is being encountered with the removal program, with the conspicuous exception of the Hata property.