Carson City Public Works cleaning up linear ditch

It’s hard to see the ditch for the weeds.

For several weeks, Carson City Public Works will be cleaning out the linear ditch that runs parallel to the linear park or path starting at Roop Street next to Governors Field.

The earthen ditch, part of the city’s storm drainage system, is overrun with sediment, trash, plants and even trees, including Russian olive, bulrushes, sagebrush and rabbitbrush.

“We’ve been cleaning it out a little at a time over the last 20 years, but it’s time do a major cleaning,” said Robb Fellows, senior project manager, stormwater.

The impetus for the $100,000 project is the upcoming South Carson Street project, said Fellows, which includes its own storm drain improvements.

“We’re trying to get (the ditch) back to capacity,” said Fellows.

Starting to the east, near a cattle fence short of the freeway, crews will be working with a special track hoe that can reach 60 feet across the ditch from the service road that runs alongside it, digging out debris and plants that now reduces the channel’s size. The debris will be laid out on the road to dry for days. Straw wattle is being placed the length of the ditch to prevent sediment from running back in while the material dries out. Once dry, the material will be hauled to the city landfill.

Small sections of the ditch will also be dug out and realigned. Near Governors Field, for example, the ditch heads for the field and will be redirected away from it.

The portion of the ditch and path from the cattle fence to Saliman Road is closed now and the section from Saliman Road to Roop Street will be closed starting next week.

The work to clear that 4,700 feet of the ditch, which is 50-60 feet wide and 3-4 feet deep, will take several weeks.