Open Space and Trails

Controlled Burn as Weed Management Practice

Broomfield's open space maintenance staff utilizes integrated weed management practices. They have experimented with goats who eat the weeds, including thistle, down to ground level. They also use the more-common chemical sprays for weed control. Biological weed control is also being implemented by the use of insects to eat specific weeds.

These methods, along with controlled burns, show promise and are being evaluated for ecological and financial impacts. The prescribed burns kill invasive weeds and restore a more desirable stand of grass. Green grasses typically emerge within a few weeks of the burn.

Below are pictures showing the process that took place at the former Hoopes farm, located at 144^th Avenue and Lowell Boulevard. This burn took place in March 2010.