Poudre Trail near Fort Collins whitewater park to close Thursday for tree removal

The Poudre Trail near the Poudre River Whitewater Park in Fort Collins will be closed on Thursday, Feb. 2, so the city can remove six willow trees from the area.

The city's forestry division is conducting the "large-scale tree removal project" near North College Avenue and Vine Drive in Old Town. City staff expect the section of the Poudre Trail leading into the northwest end of the Whitewater Park will be closed as a result of the project, which involves two private contractors and forestry crew members.

The trees are being removed because they were assessed and "pose a risk to the public that uses that area," according to Ernie Wintergerst, a senior supervisor of forestry. He said the trees are dead, "have notable decay pockets" and that large branches have been falling in the canopies.

The city is asking trail users to avoid the area and follow detour signs that will be in place.

The project is dependent on weather conditions and the scheduled date may move if necessary, according to a press release from the city.

This is the first tree removal of the year on city property. Wintergerst said that there are typically about 500 tree removals each year on city property, though most are small trees that didn't establish when they were planted.

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Molly Bohannon covers city government for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter @molboha or contact her at mbohannon@coloradoan.com. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Poudre Trail near whitewater park to close Thursday for tree removal