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DRAPER -- Some residents in Draper are fighting to save a cottonwood tree that may be 200 years old. New development threatens to rob the tree of its water source, but the people found support from the city.
Arborists estimate the old cottonwood tree near 13200 South and 700 East is anywhere from 60 to 200 years old.
"It is a huge tree that deserves to have its life span," says Draper resident Gwyn Anglesey.
Construction on the property adjacent to the tree intensified this week. The developer took out four apple trees for a road, and Anglesey fears for the cottonwood that shades her property.
"You take water away from a tree that's used to getting it for all these years, it disappears; the tree will eventually die," she says.
Draper requires developers to enclose irrigation ditches in pipes for safety reasons. If they do that here, the cottonwood's source of water would dry up, and one arborist told residents the tree would die.
"New trees will come and be planted, but let them be planted where they need to be, versus tearing down these trees," Anglesey says.
"I love trees. We're a ‘Tree City USA,' and our goal is to plant lots of trees in Draper, and certainly not to tear them down," says Draper Mayor Darrell H. Smith.
Turns out, the neighbors found an ally in the mayor and his public works department. They showed up Thursday to talk to Anglesey about solutions.
"I think we came up with solutions that can meet the safety issues of the city and then save most of the trees too," says Draper Public Works Director Dave Decker.
The city will have the developer run a "tee" off the main pipe that leads to a sump. Water that fills the sump will trickle out to the roots of the tree.
"They are trying to find a solution, and that makes me feel better," Anglesey says.
The city says it will save two of the remaining apple trees, and possibly all three.
"This tree has stood here and saw a lot happen since 1849, when the first settlers came here. So, we'd certainly like it to stay here," Smith says.
"I don't know what's going to happen here, but I'm confident that they have slowed the construction down to really take a look at this without plowing through," Anglesey says.
The public works director says an irrigation system will provide additional water for the cottonwood. He plans to meet with the contractor Monday to talk about the changes, which also include a smaller piece of equipment that can do the landscaping work with less damage.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
