Levee Maintenance Work To Begin Feb. 24

From the City of Missoula:

Posted Feb. 20, 2020

The City’s Storm Water Utility will begin routine vegetation maintenance on the Clark Fork River levee between Russell St. and California St. beginning Monday, February 24. Work is to be completed by March 6, weather dependent. Trail traffic will be detoured from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays during this time.

The utility has contracted with a local company to perform this work, as required by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers to maintain the levee’s integrity. Vegetation removal will include trees with trunks larger than 3 inches and non-native trees and shrubs, which will greatly encourage the growth of native shrubs.

Utility staff collaborated with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department to identify the non-native vegetation. They also consulted Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to obtain the necessary permit. The Clark Fork River will not be disturbed during this work.

Engineers from the Army Corps will be inspecting the levee in the near future, and the levee could lose its accreditation if it is not properly maintained. Non-accreditation of the levee would cause all businesses and residences protected by the levee to either obtain or increase their flood insurance coverage.

Trail users will be detoured onto California St. and the north side of W. Broadway during the closure. The detour route uses the W. Broadway sidewalk system and may add about 5 minutes of travel time for cyclists and 10 minutes for pedestrians. Please see the attached detour map.

For more information, please contact the Storm Water Utility at stormwater@ci.missoula.mt.us or 406.552.6358.

This press release was produced by the City of Missoula. The views expressed here are the author’s own.