Eucalyptus trees will fall victim to drought, disease
Weakened by drought, as many as 30 eucalyptus trees along Saratoga Creek are being cut down over the next few weeks because they pose a public safety hazard.
“The drought allowed pathogens and pests like beetles to take hold in the trees,” said John Chapman, arborist for the Santa Clara Valley Water District in charge of the tree removal project. “Their canopies are starting to die out and a couple have fungi, which is indicative of root disease.”
Chapman is overseeing the project between Cox Avenue and Prospect Road. He said the area is difficult to maintain because it’s “landlocked” by private properties.
He also described the work area as “sensitive.”
“Working in a creek environment is tough — we can’t muddy the water and we have to avoid nesting birds,” Chapman said. “We’ve had biologists out there who have identified bird nesting areas and we can’t knock down active nests. Our contractors know to contact us if they have any wildlife concerns.”
Nearby residents aren’t opposed to removing the trees, Chapman said, but are concerned about wildlife.
“The songbirds are the most obvious wildlife in the area, but there’s lots of rainbow trout, reptiles, lizards, snakes and probably tree frogs,” he said.
One reason the trees are being removed is due to concern that they’ll fall down and block the creek. But their debris also poses a wildfire danger.
“Eucalyptus trees are always dropping leaves, branches and bark,” Chapman said. “Since it’s our responsibility to manage what’s on the ground, starting this summer we’ll be raking up all the organic fuels.”
The water district plans to replace the eucalyptus trees with native species, such as oaks, sycamores and buckeyes that tend to be more drought resistant.
Some of the trees are estimated to be about 150 feet tall, but most are in the 70-80 foot range.
The job requires workers to use a special crane that cuts the trees into sections, Chapman said.
“It’s a long-reach crane that can reach across the creek, cut a portion of a tree and have it land safely on the opposite bank,” he said. “The wood will be disposed of off site.”
The water district believes the eucalyptus were planted in the early 20th century.
“We believe a lot of the eucalyptus were planted as wind breaks for orchards because it’s a line of trees that’s three to four trees thick,” Chapman said. “It runs for about a thousand feet.”