New weed spraying program takes root in Cold Lake

The City of Cold Lake started a new Weed Spraying project this week. “It’s a new program we’re trying out to help keep the dandelions and other weeds down,” said City of Cold Lake CAO Kevin Nagoya. “A lot of the weeds seem to be sprouting up this week, so we’re hopefully hitting them at the right time.”

The program cost $50,000 and covers 685,000 square metres of weed spraying, and uses a Premium 3-Way chemical, which includes 2,4-D, Dicamba, and Mecoprop-P. It is toxic to broad-leaf plants such as dandelions, and applied through water droplets, allowing it to reach and soak into the ground without spreading through the air.

“We opted to go ahead with the program after several complaints of weeds in the past,” said Nagoya. “We’ll see how it does this year, and decide if it is worth continuing in the future.”

Signage is being posted in areas being sprayed, and members of the public are advised to avoid these areas when the spray is being applied.

*Press Release from the City of Cold Lake