Overgrowth-removal work could start in September along creek, Midland Trail

Overgrowth-removal work could start in September along creek, Midland Trail

Excess foliage can be seen in the area of an illegal campsite last spring on the north side of Fountain Creek, near a Midland Trail creek segment going west from 25th Street at Naegele Boulevard. A project is planned to cut away such overgrowth for safety reasons along the Midland Trail.

Westside Pioneer file photo

Colorado Springs Police are working with a city tree-trimming contractor on a project that will include cutting back “excess foliage” on the Midland Trail.
       According to Police Lieutenant Jeff Jensen of the Gold Hill Police Substation, a work schedule is being finalized, with the activity likely to start in mid-September. Starting at Eighth Street and moving west, the work will take one and a half to two months, he said.
       A similar effort is already under way on the Greenway Trail east of I-25, he said.
       Jensen described the project scope as removing “trash and excessive foliage” along the two busy trails. He elaborated that parts of both the Midland and the Greenway are alongside creeks (Fountain Creek for the Midland) which are “susceptible to flooding,” so cleaning them up will enhance safety.
       Previously along the Greenway Trail, for example, “we have had water rescues,” Jensen said. “This is entirely being done with the intent of preserving lives.”
       Mature trees will be left alone in the trimming effort, he added.

Westside Pioneer article
(Posted 8/27/16; Projects: Flood Control)

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