A study recently published in the Water Quality Research Journal by Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations ecologists and partners discovered a “surprising” amount of water contamination below illegal cannabis grow sites.
The study shows the need for proactive management of trespass cannabis cultivation sites to reduce or eliminate surface water contamination for humans, fish, and wildlife.
The highest density and proportion of California cannabis cultivation is located within a tri-county region, composed of Humboldt, Trinity, and Mendocino counties, known as the ‘Emerald Triangle.’ The Emerald Triangle encompasses large regions of high-quality forest and riparian habitat for multiple aquatic species of conservation concern, including steelhead, coho, foothill yellow-legged frogs, and California red-legged frogs.
LINK (via Times-Standard)
