STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Noxious weed spraying will begin as early as Friday, June 7, in the city’s right-of-way around town and will continue for approximately 30 days, weather permitting.

The city of Steamboat Springs has hired a private contractor to spray for weeds including whitetop plants. The contractor uses a harmless blue dye to mark where the herbicide has been sprayed. The dye typically disappears in a day or two.

Once the herbicide has dried, children and pets may walk through the sprayed area if needed. Dry times depend on weather but typically run an hour to two hours after application. As a precaution, children and pets should stay off sprayed areas for 24 hours.

Depending on the weed, plants usually see some color change within a week and complete browning normally occurs in two to three weeks.

Contact Greg Jaeger at 970-871-8274 or Sheila Weekly at 970-879-1807 for more information about the city’s noxious week spraying program.