Monday, August 13, 2012

The City of Wichita is facing a devastating problem. Hot, dry weather over the past couple of years is killing thousands of trees.

Doug Kupper, parks and recreation director, said the drought is killing both young and very mature trees.

"It's catastrophic," he said.

He said the effects of last summer's 52 days of 100 degree temperatures and this year's dry weather will last for years to come.

"It could start raining today, and still we will have trees dying for the next five to six years,"Kupper said.

City crews are watering younger trees with slow dripping bags or tanker trucks hoping to keep them alive.

Kupper says the drought is even taking the older oaks and elm trees along the river.

The city doesn't plan to start replacing the dead trees until the economy comes back and the drought ends.