Downtown Des Moines project will cut 150 trees
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Eagles frequently roost in trees near the Scott Avenue dam but they don’t have nests in any that will be cut in coming weeks. Photo: Jason Clayworth/Axios
About 150 trees are being removed near downtown Des Moines' Scott Avenue dam for a project that begins next week, Hannah Inman, CEO of Iowa Confluence Water Trails (ICON), tells Axios.
Catch up fast: ICON is a broad $125 million plan to improve recreation along more than 150 miles of rivers and creeks in Central Iowa.
- Dam modifications, including the tree removal, are intended to allow boaters to safely pass.
Zoom in: The Scott Avenue project also includes a new fish passage and about 1,500 feet of riverbank that will be graded to provide recreation and fishing access.
State of play: The trees are located on three acres along the DSM River, just south of the dam.
- They must be removed by the end of March to avoid impacts to a federally protected bat species that may inhabit the trees starting in the spring.
- The overall project is expected to be completed in 2025.
🦅 The intrigue: The area, just south of Principal Park, is a common spot for eagles.
- There are no nests within the clearing limits, Inman says.
