WELD COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Some neighborhoods in Weld County look like a desert storm zone currently: Homes surrounded by mountains of tumbleweeds after fierce winds.
This comes weeks after county officials warned neighbors to cut and maintain their weeds. Now, many homeowners are overwhelmed, asking what help, if any, they can expect from the county.
Massive mounds of tumbleweeds stretch across yards and driveways, some nearly reaching rooftops. While Jeanie Haselbush says this happens every year, she says the volume this time is unlike anything she’s ever seen.
“Every year it is a problem that we have that we do mitigate and we do take care of ourselves,” she said. “Some people shred them, some people have joked about bailing them, but as you can tell, this is actually way too much to try to mitigate in a short period of time.”
On Sept. 15, Weld County officials sent a letter to residents warning them to manage overgrown weeds and fire hazards. Haselbush says when she called asking for help or resources, the response was shocking.
“The lady I had talked to at the county, she had said to go ahead and throw them over your fence and let your neighbor deal with them,” said Haselbush. “I was absolutely shocked because we are actually one of those neighbors that they accumulate to when people do that.”
FOX31 reached out to county officials. Jennifer Finch, the county’s public information officer, acknowledged that one of its employees did tell a resident to toss tumbleweeds over the fence after exhausting all other options. Finch said the comment was “poorly worded” and “not the best advice,” adding that they’re reviewing the interaction internally and want to send out an apology to Haselbush and the community.
Haselbush has been working to clear the debris safely using a small burn pit on her property.
“Our burn barrel is only so big, and you can only do so much in a day,” said Haselbush.
She says the county doesn’t maintain its own properties.
According to the county, Kochia and Russian thistles (the main culprits) aren’t considered noxious weeds anymore, meaning there’s no requirement for cleaning help.
Haselbush said, “Everybody is pretty much really frustrated with the county with asking us to manage our properties better, but when we need resources, as in this circumstance, we’re pretty much told that we’re on our own.”
Officials say they enforce the state’s weed laws fairly and consistently and that residents are responsible for managing their own properties.
For those buried under a wall of weeds, that explanation doesn’t sit right. Jeanie says a fair response would include dumpsters, loaders and other support so neighbors aren’t forced to burn everything in their backyard.
“So, when we have high fire danger and really the only effective way to get rid of them is to burn them, it’s very concerning,” said Haselbush.
For now, the cleanup will take weeks, with neighbors working carefully to reduce fire risks and reclaim their yards from what Haselbush calls “prairie zombies.” County officials are asking residents mow, mulch, and bag tumble weeds in residential areas. The suggestions for agricultural areas of the county are actions like burning and allowing them to move with the wind.
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