Additional areas of City Creek Trail System to be closed for Russian Olive removal
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - The City of Pocatello is continuing its work to remove Russian Olive trees in the City Creek Trail System.
Additional areas of the City Creek Trail System will be closed to all users while Russian Olive trees are masticated on the south hillside between Bridges 10 and 12. Flying wood from mastication can severely injure trail users.
To protect trail users, the following trails are closed daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning tomorrow, February 23 until further notice:
- City Creek Gut above Bridge 5
- All trails north of Bump Trail & Cusick Creek Road (e.g. Burrito, Sullivan’s, Adrenalin, Cross Cut, Serengeti)
- All trails south of City Creek Road
- City Creek Road (below Sullivan’s/Bridge15)
- North Fork Road (below BLM).
Work is expected to be completed within two weeks.
Russian Olive trees were once planted for wildlife habitat and erosion control. They are now known to be invasive species that reduce streamflow in City Creek and add excess nitrogen to the creek. They also choke out our native plants and provide less wildlife habitat than our native shrubs such as Chokecherry and Hawthorne. In order to prevent re-sprouting all of the cut trees will be treated with herbicide. Some trees will be killed in place to provide wildlife habitat and limit environmental damage in sensitive areas.
