Residents are not permitted to clear cut the ditch in front of their property. The ditch is a right-of-way owned by Strathcona County and we try to conserve trees wherever possible. If you have a specific concern, please contact us at 780-417-7100.

The County will only mulch trees and brush within our right-of-way and will not mulch trees on private land. Attention and care is given to conserving trees wherever possible. The County does not clear the entire right-of-way unless required for construction projects.

Strathcona County is responsible for maintaining ditches in rural areas and subdivisions, and we conduct this program annually. We will contact residents before any activities that will substantially reduce tree coverage or privacy of a resident’s property.

The County mulches ditches annually between October and December to prevent any harm to migratory birds during their nesting period.

The County may need to mulch areas outside of this time period for construction projects. In this event, the area will be surveyed for nesting birds to confirm no damage will be done. If nests are present, a buffer will be established to prevent any harm.

Mulching does change the appearance of the ditch at first. Typically, these areas re-establish grass within the year, and the appearance improves by mid-summer the following year. The County’s mowing equipment will also help break down any debris that remains during our mowing activities.

Black Knot is not a regulated pest in Alberta and the County cannot enforce removal of trees that have the disease. The County provides information to residents on Black Knot to help educate them about the disease and its treatment. Learn more about Black Knot.

No, the County is responsible for maintaining rural ditches. The County does not landscape the ditch and uses heavy duty mowers capable of rough cutting grass, trees and brush. 

Residents may choose to mow their own ditch in addition to County mowing activities; however, not all equipment is suitable for mowing ditches and residents are responsible for any damage to their own equipment.

It is not uncommon for large amounts of vegetation to clump in piles after it has been mowed. These piles will naturally decompose and can help keep the vegetation shorter for a longer period of time.

In areas where the mower cannot fully fit in the ditch, some grass may be left on the road surface. This grass will dry up and blow off typically within a few days of mowing.

Municipal reserves are not mowed as part of this annual program; they are managed to be natural areas.

Some reserves are rented for grazing animals or for hay production. These reserves are part of the Municipal Land Licensing Program and will only be cut when rented by a private resident.

Vegetation control on primary and secondary highways is the responsibility of Alberta Transportation. View a complete listing of primary and secondary highways in Strathcona County. 

The County continuously monitors reserves and parks throughout the community for wildfire risks to nearby properties. Residents can also take steps to help protect their property, including removing dead and dry plants and trees, and keeping grass mowed and trees pruned. Learn more about the steps you can take to help protect your property. 

If you have wildfire concerns about a County reserve in your subdivision, please contact Emergency Services at firesmart@strathcona.ca or call 780-464-8468.

Rural ditches are County-owned rights-of-way. As a landowner, Strathcona County is responsible for preventing the spread of noxious and prohibited noxious weeds on County-owned land. This is necessary to protect natural areas, agricultural land and private landowners from the spread of invasive plants that can disrupt ecosystems, cause harm to humans and animals, or economically impact farmers.

Rural residents in Strathcona County who do not wish to have herbicide sprayed in the ditch next to their property can register with the County’s Landowner Option Program (LOP). Once enrolled in the LOP, landowners assume the responsibility of noxious weed, prohibited noxious weed and brush control. To learn more, or to take part in the program, please contact Transportation and Agriculture Services at 780-417-7100.

Spraying herbicide is one tool that the County uses, along with mowing and brushing, to manage the weeds and brush in the ditch. All products used are approved and regulated by Health Canada and applied by certified applicators. For more information on the products used, please contact 780-417-7100.

We spray herbicide to treat weeds designated as noxious and prohibited noxious under the Alberta Weed Act. Trees and brush under two metres tall are also sprayed to prevent them from getting too close to the road.

Depending on the location, some areas are broadcast sprayed, meaning equipment will spray herbicide to cover the entire ditch. Other areas are spot-sprayed, meaning County staff walk in the ditch and spray only certain plants by hand. All properties registered as "no spray" within the Landowner Option Program are excluded from spraying.

The County spot-sprays all roadsides south of Highway 16 twice per year. The first spot-spray will occur between late May and June; this spraying is done to control trees and brush. The second spot-spray will occur between July and August; this spraying is done to control noxious and prohibited noxious weeds.

The County broadcast sprays all the roadsides north of Highway 16 every other year on odd numbered years.

County land that is not part of annual spraying programs may be either spot sprayed or broadcast sprayed, as required.

Vegetation control on primary and secondary highways is the responsibility of Alberta Transportation. View a complete listing of primary and secondary highways in Strathcona County. 

If there are weed concerns in ditches along highways or railroads, Strathcona County will issue weed notices to the proper authorities.