Annual Vegetation Maintenance on Riverbank Levees Begins October 20, 2025

The City of Missoula Stormwater Utility will begin annual vegetation maintenance on two Clark Fork River levees on Monday, October 20, 2025. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requires this maintenance to protect levee structures and ensure their continued performance. Levees reduce flood risk by containing high water within the river channel. The City’s Stormwater Utility has contracted with a local company to perform this work.  

Crews will remove trees with trunks larger than three inches, as well as non-native trees and shrubs growing on the levees. Work will start near Kiwanis Park, continue through Bess Reed and Caras Park (on the north side of the river between Orange St and Madison), and then move west to the section between the California Street Footbridge and Russell Street Bridge, on the north side of the river. 

Sections of the riverfront trail adjacent to these areas will close intermittently between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, October 24. Crews will post barricades and “Trail Closed – Use Alternate Route” signs at trail intersections near the work zones. The City has scheduled closures to avoid peak commuter hours. Trail users should expect minor delays and plan alternate routes during active work periods. 

A portion of the trail between the California Street pedestrian bridge and Russell Street bridge will be detoured to nearby Cedar and California streets while crews complete the vegetation removal work. The pedestrian bridge and the trail east of the pedestrian bridge will both remain fully open to trail users. 

To learn more about ongoing levee maintenance, visit ci.missoula.mt.us/2340/Levee-Flood-Information  

For general questions about this project, contact Tracy Campbell, Stormwater Utility Superintendent, Public Works & Mobility Department, at 406-552-6379 or CampbellTL@ci.missoulamt.us.