Iowa DOT to remove 5,500 flood-damaged trees

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Thousands of trees damaged or killed by floodwater from the Missouri River will be removed in the next few months along Interstate 29.

According to KETV-TV, most of the trees are between U.S. Highway 30 and the north side of Council Bluffs.

The Iowa DOT says the removal of the trees will cost about $150,000.

Nebraska Forest Service expert Graham Herbst says debris in the floodwater caused damage to trees that led to decay. In other cases, floodwater choked off oxygen to tree roots.

The Iowa DOT says it will wait for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine how it will manage the Missouri River in the future before deciding when to replant trees.