The city of Eureka Springs has received a request from resident Gwen Bennett that actions be taken to prevent the killing of what might be the largest native pecan tree in Eureka Springs that currently has about four-five feet of sediment piled up along its base. The tree is on a steep hillside between Cushing and Spring Sts. where a home for the owners, Michael and Melissa Brooks, is under construction.
“I am concerned about the extensive excavation on Spring/Bridge street that may lead to the eventual death of the magnificent native pecan tree,” Gwen Bennett wrote in an email to Building Inspector Bobby Ray. “Planning [Commission] had forbidden cutting down this contributing tree. The excavation has moved far inside of the drip line and soil has been piled up next to the tree, both of which can lead to its demise and eventual death. This is an important tree that seeds future native pecan trees and feeds wildlife.”
A drip line is the outer circumference of a tree’s canopy.
In order to save this pecan tree, Bennett suggested Ray stop work on the site until an arborist can assess it. “I also would like this documented so that if the tree dies in the next few years, someone can be held responsible,” she said.
Bennett said there have been other cases in town where protected trees might have died because of soil compaction. She said killing a tree can be easier than getting a tree permit.
“The huge oaks that were on the car wash/dollar store site took 5-6 years to die after the property owner piled dirt over the bases of the trees,” she said. “I’m just concerned the same thing could happen to that pecan tree. Our big trees are the ones that seed the baby trees. It is probably the biggest native pecan in town.”
Boulders and large amounts of soil are being excavated to provide parking at the new building on Cushing/Spring. During the recent extreme rain when Eureka Springs received about four inches of rain in one day, a temporary power pole at the site fell over.
Ray said Monday he met with the contractor, and that the dirt that is piled up near the tree is not being hauled off because it needs to be used to backfill behind a retaining wall for the parking area.
“As long as the dirt is not there for months and months, it should not have any effect on the pecan tree,” Ray said. And Ray said everyone needs to remember this was one of those extreme downpours where even good stormwater safeguards tend to fail.
“We had storm sewer issues all over the city.” Ray said. “It is in the code that you are not supposed to dig within the drip line of a protected tree. But they are nowhere close to digging in the drip line of the pecan tree. And, in some of the places around here, if you are not digging in the drip line, you wouldn’t be able to replace water and sewer service.”
Ray said sediment runoff from the site was largely contained to where they are a building a parking area. However, others said they witnessed soil and water running down the street and partly filling in a gravel parking area across the street at a nearby home.
Tree expert Christopher Fischer said that the spoils should not be stored on top of the root system within the drip line and that the weight of the soil could compact the roots of the tree, leading to damage.
“Compaction is certainly an issue for the root system, as the mass of piled spoils interrupts the metabolic exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide by the root system, which impairs the tree,” Fischer said. “The tree has not been imposed upon by construction for decades, so suddenly covering tree roots with fill is not a good idea. It’s also a mature, aging tree, so it has less capacity to withstand a variety of changes to its habitat.”
According to Colorado State University, soil compaction is the most common factor leading to the decline process of trees. CSU states that, at the very least, compacted soil results in stressed plants that are far more susceptible to secondary problems like disease and pest insects.
Fischer said especially during this time when the city is seeing a lot of new development, protective actions are needed to preserve the value of historic trees, and added that there are limits in the powers of the Planning Commission to act as stewards of the urban forest. Fischer said in 2020 Planning provided city council with a revised tree ordinance, but council has not yet taken action on those recommendations.