Water Hemlock at White Rock Lake - City to treat with Glyphosate - July 2022
This article comes from WFAA, and because they don't publish durable links we've copied this out of an abundance of caution to record how these plants will be treated now and in the future.
Poisonous plant found growing around White Rock Lake, Dallas park officials say
The parks department says the water hemlock is growing in areas where residents can accidentally come into contact with it.
Author: Alex Cruz
Published: 6:37 PM CDT July 21, 2022
Updated: 6:37 PM CDT July 21, 2022
DALLAS — The Dallas Parks and Recreation department is warning residents about a poisonous plant that's been found growing around White Rock Lake.
According to the department, the water hemlock plant has been found growing along the lakefront and that it's possible residents can accidentally come into contact with it.
"Park maintenance staff recently learned of several populations of the poisonous [plants] growing around the lake," the department said in a news release.
The parks department said it will be conducting "emergency pesticide application" on Friday to eliminate the plant. If this works, the department added the plant should dry up and the roots killed "to neutralize any toxicity and threat to human health."
The water hemlock plant grows as small clusters of white flower in the shape of an umbrella. The parks department said the plant is described as "highly toxic" and that it affects the central nervous system.
The primary method of poisoning is ingesting the plant, but the department said skin contact could cause a reaction.
"The public is advised to keep away from this plant if discovered growing at the park and immediately contact a Poison Control Center if exposed," the parks department said in the news release.
The parks department said it will be using the Rodeo herbicide, as the chemical is approved for use near White Rock Lake.
Here is information about the toxicity of Glyphosate (Roundup and Rodeo) from the Dirt Doctor's Organic Library. This information has been around for a long time.
No one disputes the danger of Water Hemlock. The USDA Agricultural Research Service calls it "the most violently toxic plant that grows in North America. Only a small amount of the toxic substance in the plant is needed to produce poisoning in livestock or in humans. The toxic, cicutoxin, acting directly on the central nervous system, is a violent convulsant." Recent scholarly studies counter the National Pesticide Information Center's dismissal of the dangers of glyphosate and recently the EPA has been ordered to reevaluate the hazards of Glyphosate.
So, Glyphosate isn't as immediatlely deadly as Water Hemlock, but it kills wildlife, harms humans, and kills other plants it comes into contact with. Equally effective against the plant is 20% Vinegar, and if you want to boost it even more, add a fatty acid product to the mix. Both will kill any plant on contact, but the vinegar doesn't remain in the environment to keep on killing.
Here is the Dallas Parks and Recreation Department announcement. They haven't used glyphosate products around the lake in years, the current situation represents a unique threat to public health - just as glyphosate presents a problem to public health. Dallas, use 20% vinegar instead. It works just as well and won't kill everything else in the area. According to both Howard Garrett and Bob Webster, "There’s never been a more appropriate place to use 20% vinegar (a legally labeled product under several brand names)."
More information from TORC (The Texas Organic Research Center):
Glyphosate - FDA finds Monsanto's Weed Killer in U.S. Honey
Glyphosate found in the urine of 93% of the American public recently tested
Federal court rejects Glyphosate registration decision because EPA ignored cancer risks, endangered species risks
Glyphosate persistence raises questions (Concerns over use of glyphosate-based herbicides and risks associated with exposures: a consensus statement).
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