Los Angeles

Drought Leaves Residents Worrying Over Safety of Trees

An added drought concern is popping up across Los Angeles, a byproduct of the great conservation strides many residents have made in recent years.

In the meet water conservation goals, many homeowners have pulled out their lawns, leaving an estimated 700,000 trees that line LA’s streets and avenues dry and vulnerable as their primary water source - lawn runoff - goes away.

"When the tree is suffering from drought there is less foliage, less canopy, less food, less root growth, less canopy growth and inherent in that is the ability to combat diseases,” said Ron Lorenzen, assistant director of the LA Bureau of Street Services.

And many residents are unaware that water trickling into the underlying ground system from front lawn watering has been keeping many of the city’s trees alive.

"I don't know if every private property owner knows that," Lorenzen said.

The public works committee of the LA City Council formally asked the Department of Street Services for an audit of the city's urban forest Monday.

As the drought has continued, the trees that have become vital to the city’s neighborhoods have increasingly become vulnerable.

"If you are walking in the middle of the street the trees are lacing like fingers,” said homeowner Jimmy Gutierrez. “It is so awesome!"

But as much as he loves it, Gutierrez still remembers the day last year when a city-owned California pine lost a thirty foot branch over his home.

"All all we heard was boom, and the whole house shook," he said.

Gutierrez said he fears the tree is becoming weaker due to the drought, and he's not alone.

An estimated 12 million trees have died in California forests, including the Angeles, San Bernardino, San Jacinto and Cleveland national forests.

Fourteen-thousand trees have died in Griffith Park alone and trees along the freeway are dying after Caltrans stopped watering them a year ago.

A lack of water has left them vulnerable to pests such as the bark beetle and a fungus called "oleander scorch".

City officials hope residents don't lose sight of the need to keep the trees alive, even as they push for conservation.

"Keep your trees alive,” said Councilman Paul Koretz. “You have to keep watering them."

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