is certainly a lovely sight, however, this non-native and highly invasive plant is the bane of the riparian southwest. Several years ago
tamarisk leaf-eating beetles were introduced along the Colorado River around Moab, Utah, and as their name suggests, they've been chomping on the shrub quite aggressively. Most plants look pretty stressed right now, but some can still manage the energy to push out some blossoms (click to enlarge).
So, time for assessment of the project has arrived, as announced recently in the local paper:
County study to analyze local impact of tamarisk beetles. And here's the link to the USGS publication referenced in the article above:
Saltcedar and Russian Olive Control Demonstration Act Science Assessment.
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