Tamarisk and Russian Olive Occurrence and Absence Dataset Collected in Select Tributaries of the Colorado River for 2017

Non-native and invasive tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) are common in riparian areas of the Colorado River Basin and are regarded as problematic by many land and water managers. Widespread location data showing current distribution of these species, especially data suitable for remote sensing analyses, are lacking. This dataset contains 3476 species occurrence and absence point records for tamarisk and Russian olive along rivers within the Colorado River Basin in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Data were collected in the field in the summer of 2017 with high-resolution imagery loaded on computer tablets. This dataset includes status (live, dead, defoliated, etc.) of observed tamarisk to capture variability in tamarisk health across the basin, in part attributable to the tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda spp.). For absence points, vegetation or land cover were recorded. These data have a range of applications including serving as a baseline for the current distribution of these species, species distribution modeling, species detection with remote sensing, and invasive species management.