Noxious Weed Plan for TVW (email to Owners, June 2023)

It is up to all of us at TVW to help manage noxious weeds. Wind and water do not know the difference between common area and individual lots and can carry weeds all over the ranch. We all need to work together to make sure we stop the spread of these weeds.  Last year we noticed an additional noxious weed, Poison Hemlock in the west valley and unfortunately has now been seen in the middle valley from Lehman Pond all the way down to just above the front gate. This noxious weed is sometimes hidden in the oak, and hard to see until it is fully established with white flowers. We also have a high population of Canada Thistle typically found in water drainage areas along the road and above the water plant and in the Lost Lake area. Leafy Spurge has been a problem in the east valley common area. We have improved the outbreaks of Canada Thistle and Leafy Spurge through our yearly weed management program but will continue to be a problem if not addressed yearly. Common Mullein, although not as bad as some noxious weeds, is still a highly invasive weed. It is commonly found in bare soil where the seeds are exposed to more sunlight. Outbreaks can be found in burn scars, clearings for home construction and driveways. One plant can produce up to 250,000 seeds and the seeds can remain viable for up to 100 years in the soil.

We have a two-part plan to control these noxious weeds. TVW will continue to control the weeds on the common area, and through education and communication we hope to give the property owners the information and tools to contain these noxious weeds on their lots.

Common Area

TVW hires a certified person to spray the common area. Yearly we map out where these weeds are and work to eradicate them from our ranch. We generally begin addressing the common area in early June each year.

Individual Lots

The Common Area Maintenance Committee (CAMC) provides educational material for the owners on noxious weeds that are on the ranch.  Two years ago, we had a presentation from the Huerfano County Noxious Weed Manager. You can find his presentations here.  

It is the “legal responsibility” of ALL owners to remove these weeds from your lots as stated in the Colorado Noxious Weed Act of 1991 (C.R.S Title 35, Article 5.5). The CAMC does not have the responsibility nor the authority to spray on individuals’ private property.

Although owners can choose how they want to address their weed problem, it is important to know that using a licensed professional provides some advantages over doing it yourself. Our sprayer, Thomas Lara, can use herbicides that in some cases are specially formulated for specific weeds. They can also include a pre-emergent that will slow the spread from year to year.

You can contact Thomas Lara at 719-766-1082 (text is best) to spray the weeds on your lot. If you wish to use his services, it is recommended that you contact him soon so he can maximize his time and effectiveness over the coming days.

UPDATE: April 12, 2024                                                                                                                                An additional weed spraying service is now available in the La Veta area. The owner is Kelli Bjorum. (303) 775-4225

Any questions or concerns can be directed to Andy Pursch (CAMC Chairman) at

We have provided a list of the most common weeds found on TVW. Clicking on the name will show you a picture of the weed.

  Canada Thistle #1    Canada Thistle #2                                                                                                        Hoary Cress                                                                                                                                        Houndstongue                                                                                                                                                Leafy Spurge                                                                                                                                          Musk Thistle                                                                                                                                      Scotch Thistle #1  Scotch Thistle #2                                                                                                          Common Mullein                                                                                                                                  Poison Hemlock #1  Poison Hemlock #2   Poison Hemlock #3

Information on Noxious Weeds 

The following links will provide access to several presentations provided by Charles Bryant, Huerfano County Noxious Weed Manager.

Successful Vegetation Management (Auto Run PowerPoint)     

Successful Vegetation Management (Narrated Zoom Presentation)

Success with Herbicides (Auto Run PowerPoint)

Biological Controls

• Huerfano World Journal Article- "Puccina punctiformis (aka Canada thistle rust fungus)"

TVW Noxious Weed Maps

This map was created in March of 2024. The original data was collected by Charles Bryant, Huerfano County Noxious Weed Manager, during an inspection of the ranch 2021. In addition, Thomas Lara has continued to add information gathered during his routine annual spraying activity. All owners are strongly encouraged to contribute to this data collection. If on your travels throughout the ranch you come across any significant areas of weeds that you suspect are noxious, please notify the Common Area Committee at .  The easiest thing to do is to photograph the weeds and email it. Almost all smart phones have the ability to tag the photo with coordinates if that feature is activated. If you do not have that, please provide a description of where the weeds were seen.

NOTE: the size of the shaded area on the maps represents the relative size of the infested area. It is not an exact measurement.

TVW_Weed_Map_March_2024