BY BRANDY TUZON BOYD
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz
A virtual meeting will be held Monday about Natomas-area levee work which includes removing several trees along Garden Highway that some residents say protect their homes.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to start work on levee improvements along the Garden Highway levee from Farm Road to Gateway Oaks Drive this month.
At issue: plans to trim and remove trees along the roadway. That work was scheduled to start Nov. 9.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representatives will host the virtual meeting from 3-5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16 to provide an update on the levee improvement project. Attendees will hear about ongoing work, site preparation including tree removal, and the project schedule moving forward. Attendees will also be able to ask questions.
“We are aware that residents have questions about tree trimming/removals as well as the upcoming levee improvement work to be constructed in the area, scheduled to begin in 2022,” reads a Natomas Basin levee update from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Two people were critically injured in a single-vehicle accident Oct. 26 on Garden Highway. / Photo courtesy Irene Ortiz
Some residents of the nearby River Oaks neighborhood say the trees slated for removal protect nearby homes from vehicle accidents along Garden Highway. Most recently they point to an Oct. 26 accident which occurred when a vehicle left the roadway and collided with a tree. The tree, one slated for removal, likely prevented the vehicle from crashing into homes on La Lima Way.
“Removal and trimming of trees is necessary to provide clearance for construction equipment to access the project area and/or because they are located within the levee construction footprint,” reads an U.S. Army Corps of Engineers FAQ. “Only trees necessary for construction and utility relocation are being removed.”
Levee improvement site preparation work is expected to take place 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday along the 3.5 mile stretch of Garden Highway. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said area residents can expect increased construction traffic and noise related to the tree-cutting activities.
This levee work is part of the Natomas Basin project which was authorized by Congress in 2014. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is constructing the levee improvements in partnership with the California Central Valley Flood Protection Board, California Department of Water Resources, and the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency.
To attend the virtual meeting go to https://usace1.webex.com/usace1/j.php?MTID=m8d624937e8f86320a5f1624fd2f41d4a
For more information about Natomas Basin levee improvement work go to www.natomaslevees.com.
A two-minute video about the levee improvement project.
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