1. Knotweed

    Fallopia x bohemica, Fallopia japonica, & Fallopia sachalinensis Bohemian knotweed is the hybridization of Giant and Japanese knotweeds. They vary slightly in the size and shapes of their leaves and flowers but otherwise look and behave very similarly.Knotweed - Clumping and spreading perennial hollow zig-zagging stems and long creeping rhizomes.Leaves: Large leaves are alternate, leathery, and oval. The base is slightly indented to deeply heart-shaped and leaf midveins have hairs.Flowers: Flower clusters commonly made up of male flowers and located at stem and branch tips. Clusters are around 8 to 13 ¾ inches long. Sepals are white to pinkish white …


    Weed Control - Sept. 13, 2022, 3:38 p.m.

  2. Eurasian Watermilfoil

    Myriophyllum spicatum Eurasian Watermilfoil- a fully submerged escaped ornamental perennial that readily alters aquatic ecosystems by multiplying quickly and blocking sun with dense "floating" mats.Leaves: Feather-like leaves occur in whorls of 4 on a red stem. Each leaf can have 12+ leaflet pairs.Flowers: Tiny pink-reddish flowers appear as terminal spikes. Male and female flowers appear on the same plant.Habitat: Highly adaptable to any freshwater body including streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and ditches. Has been found as deep as 10 meters.Classification: B SelectThis aquatic weed is confirmed to be present in Carlisle lake, Riffe & Mayfield lakes (and the downstream portions …


    Weed Control - Sept. 26, 2022, 11:01 a.m.

  3. Slenderflower Thistle & Turkish Thistle

    Carduus tenuiflorus & Carduus cinereus Slenderflower Thistle Slenderflower Thistle Turkish Thistle Turkish Thistle Slenderflower Thistle - Grows up to 6.5 feet tall with loose hairs on the stem.Leaves: Leaves are 4-10 in. around the base of the plant with 6-10 spines. Leaves sometimes have light wooly hairs and get smaller as you move up the stem.Flowers: Flowers bloom from June-July. Clusters of 5-20+ pink flowers are usually found near the tops of the stems.Habitat: Dry open areas like pastures, ranges, right-of-ways, and areas of soil disturbance.Weed Classification: AWhy is it a Noxious Weed?Slenderflower thistle invades and spreads quickly on ranges …


    Weed Control - Sept. 29, 2022, 10:57 a.m.

  4. Blackberry (Himalayan & Cutleaf)

    Rubus armeniacus & Rubus laciniatus Himalayan Blackberry Himalayan Blackberry Cutleaf Blackberry Cutleaf Blackberry Himalayan Blackberry - A rambling, evergreen, perennial, woody shrub with stout, hook-thorned stems.Leaves: Leaves are palmately compounded with 3-5 leaflets (5 is most common). Leaves have slightly toothed margins.Flowers: Flowers bloom from May-August. Flower clusters generally have between 5-20 flowers that have 5 petals and are white to rose in color.Habitat: Grows in a variety of habitats including forests, roadsides, railroad tracks, logged lands, field margins, and riparian areas.Weed Classification: CWhy is it a Noxious Weed?Himalayan Blackberry is very hard to control after a serious infestation has …


    Weed Control - Oct. 6, 2022, 9:32 a.m.

  5. Tree of Heaven

    Ailanthus altissima Tree of Heaven - A deciduous tree growing up to 60 feet tall. Plant parts may be identified by a distinctive peanut butter/popcorn smell.Leaves: Leaves are compound and alternate, and each leaf has anywhere from 10-27 leaflets usually. Leaflets are mostly smooth-edged, except for a few rounded teeth and a visibly large gland on the underside, towards the base of the leaf.Flowers: Flowers bloom from May-July. Trees will either have male or female flower clusters at the tips of the stems with the male flowers being larger. Flowers are light green-yellow in color.Habitat: Commonly found near forest edges, …


    Weed Control - Oct. 6, 2022, 9:32 a.m.

  6. County seeks applicants for Public Health & Social Services Advisory Board

    The Lewis County Board of Health (BOH) is accepting applications from Lewis County residents interested in serving on the Lewis County Public Health & Social Services (PHSS) Advisory Board. Applications are due by 3:00 pm on Monday, November 3.The eleven-member volunteer board provides recommendations to the Board of Health on a variety of community health, environmental health, and social service issues.Five positions are open: one homeless/housing representative, one medical provider representative, and three at-large members. At-large positions are for individuals with a general interest in investigating local health policy and providing recommendations regarding health matters in Lewis County.PHSS Advisory Board …


    Public Health - Oct. 15, 2025, 9:59 a.m.

  7. Enlgish Ivy & Old Man's Beard

    Hedera helix & Clematis vitalba English Ivy - Evergreen, perennial vine that can grow up trees and bushes or spread freely along the ground. Can grow 99 feet and the young plants can anchor to vertical surfaces.Leaves: Dark green, waxy leaves that are alternate along the stem. Young leaves are deeply lobed while older leaves are diamond to oval shaped.Flowers: Flowers bloom from May-June. Only older plants flower and that can take up to 10 years. The flowers are greenish white and form umbrella-like clusters.Habitat: Commonly found in woodlands, forest edges, riparian areas, fields, hedgerows, coastal areas, and disturbed habitats. …


    Weed Control - Oct. 6, 2022, 9:33 a.m.

  8. Gorse

    Ulex europaeus Gorse - A thorny perennial shrub that closely resembles Scotch Broom and can grow to be 10+ feet tall.Leaves: Leaves are small, dark green and trifoliate — having 3 thin leaflets. As they mature, they become spiny. The leaf axils also have spines.Flowers: Flowers bloom April - September. Bright yellow pea-like flowers form clusters near branch terminals.Habitat: Can grow in most habitats, but is especially prevalent in coastal environments.Weed Classification: B DesignateWhy is it a Noxious Weed? Aside from "noxious" growth habits, gorse also creates large physical barriers and poses significant wildfire risk due to the concentration of …


    Weed Control - Sept. 29, 2022, 9:47 a.m.

  9. Cannabis Code Update

    Background Lewis County is seeking sustainable funding to help support essential local services, including public safety, infrastructure, and community programs. Cannabis sales currently are permitted in our surrounding counties and in most of the cities located in Lewis County. Between July 2023 and June 2024, cannabis sales in those cities totaled roughly $9 million. While the state collects a 37% excise tax on those sales, local jurisdictions that permit retail locations receive a dedicated portion of shared state tax revenue. Allowing retail locations in unincorporated Lewis County—such as in Packwood and the I5/Highway 12 interchange—could provide a modest but ongoing …


    Community Development - March 4, 2026, 1:20 p.m.

  10. Yellow Flag Iris

    Iris pseudacorus Yellow Flag Iris - Perennial invasive ornamental that grows 2-3 feet tall, is considered toxic to herbivores and contains a skin-irritating sap.Leaves: Broad, flat sword-shaped basal leaves that reduce in size going up the stemFlower: Multiple flowers appear at stem terminals, can be pale to dark yellow, have 3 sepals and 3 petals with its petals shorter than its sepals. Blooms visible May - July.Habitat: Grows in wetlands along the margins of lakes and slow moving rivers. It is most commonly found in shallow water or mud such as those in wet ditches.Weed Classification: C SelectWhy is it …


    Weed Control - Sept. 12, 2022, 12:12 p.m.