Unfortunately, this large oak tree along Main Street just south of the Town Green and Citizen Soul has to be removed next week. Due to significant trunk and root decay, the tree is severely weakened and poses a potential danger to the public and adjacent properties. The work will begin on Monday, July 26.
BACKGROUND:
In November of 2019, the City had Bartlett Tree Experts (our on-call arboricultural contractor) prepare a Tree Risk Assessment (TRA) for the subject water oak. The assessment determined that canopy dieback was the dominant issue and that identifiable risks posed by the tree at the time could be offset by pruning and cable reinforcement, which the City paid Bartlett to perform per their recommendations.
Since that time, the tree has exhibited additional signs of declining health; therefore, the City had Bartlett prepare an updated TRA on July 17, 2021. The new tree risk assessment identifies continued canopy dieback and, more notably, advancing trunk and root decay.
The identifiable risks posed by the tree at this time can only be fully remedied by removal.
The general lifespan of a Water Oak (which the subject tree is) in Georgia is 60 to 80 years, but they often succumb to disease by 50 years.
As noted in a US Forest Service guide, “A rapid-grower, Water Oak has a relatively short life span of only 30 to 50 years, particularly in the East on good sites where growth is rapid. Perhaps more durable and not as weak-wooded in drier areas such as Texas and Oklahoma where growth is slower. The tree often begins to break apart just as it grows to a desirable size. They appear to be poor compartmentalizers of decay since many are hollow at 40 years old.”