Caltrans Plans Removal of 43 Elms
COLUSA, CA (MPG) – A tree-lined stretch of 10th Street that has helped define the entrance into Colusa for generations is expected to look considerably different in the coming weeks as Caltrans prepares to remove 43 mature elm trees along 10th and Market streets.
The removal includes 40 American elms along 10th Street and three along Market Street, according to a July 21 arborist report prepared by Caltrans District 3 Vegetation Manager and certified arborist Kris Mitchell.
The trees are estimated to be about 120 years old and are believed to have been planted in the early 1900s.
Colusa City Manager Jesse Cain and Councilmember Greg Ponciano met with Caltrans representatives Monday, Aug. 24, after residents and city officials learned that the trees were being considered for removal.
Cain said Caltrans told city officials the trees present a significant safety concern and liability to the state and need to be removed as soon as possible.
“Caltrans specifically stated that the removal of these trees has nothing to do with the elm beetle,” Cain said, addressing concerns about the recent condition and treatment of the trees.
The distinction is notable because the arborist report documents extensive elm leaf beetle activity among the trees, including severe leaf damage and repeated defoliation. However, the report bases its removal recommendation on the trees’ overall condition, including age, structural deterioration, internal decay, dead and declining branches, previous limb failures and damage to sidewalks.
The report states the beetle activity should be considered alongside the trees’ structural condition rather than as an independent reason for removal.
According to Mitchell’s assessment, the trees range from approximately 36 to 60 inches in diameter and 60 to 110 feet tall.
Caltrans records dating to 2019 show approximately 99 emergency call-outs associated with the elm trees and 59 routine maintenance work orders. The report also documents a recent incident in which a large cracked limb became suspended in another tree over the roadway, requiring a crew to respond that day.
“The trees have passed their useful life and have issues including limb rot and significant splits within the trees,” Cain said.
The trees’ roots have also caused continuing sidewalk damage, creating uneven surfaces and pedestrian trip hazards. Caltrans has made temporary repairs, but the report concludes those repairs cannot provide a permanent solution while the underlying roots remain.
Mitchell ultimately recommended removing all 43 trees, concluding that pruning and routine maintenance would not correct the underlying structural and root problems.
“The recommendation is based on the cumulative condition of the population rather than any single defect,” Mitchell wrote in the report.
Cain said Caltrans expects the identified trees to be removed within the next 40 days.
The removal will significantly change the appearance of the 10th Street corridor, where the mature elms have formed part of the streetscape for more than a century.
The removal comes as the community is also confronting uncertainty over the future of the historic Colusa High School property along 10th Street, raising concerns about changes to one of the city’s prominent corridors.
What replaces the trees and damaged sidewalks will take longer to determine.
Cain said Caltrans told city officials its Right of Way Landscape Team will spend the next two years developing a plan to replace damaged sidewalks and address landscaping along 10th Street.
The arborist report recommends reconstructing damaged sidewalks and developing a replacement tree program using species suited to the available space, roadway, sidewalks and other infrastructure.
“The City of Colusa will be working with Caltrans to determine what improvements we may be able to accomplish sooner and how we can work together to improve the appearance of the corridor,” Cain said.
Cain acknowledged the effect the removal will have on the appearance of 10th Street but said Caltrans has an obligation to respond once the trees have been identified as safety hazards.
“The City will continue working with Caltrans throughout this process to make sure that, while the trees must be removed for safety reasons, we also work toward restoring and improving the landscaping and appearance of 10th Street,” Cain said.
Read the Caltrans Arborist Report