Highland Park trees may have to make way for water treatment work

A state agency’s proposal to remove well over an acre of woodlands along the Highland Park Reservoir No. 2 has drawn opposition from area residents and Pittsburgh’s mayor.

The proposal from the state Department of Environmental Protection [DEP] arose from the agency’s assessment that the trees and woody vegetation alongside the century-old dam pose a public safety hazard, citing risks of seepage and potential structural problems to the dam. In a May letter, the DEP proposed the extraction of trees to fall in line with its regulations.

This comes as the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority [PWSA], which owns the reservoir property, sets in motion a five-year plan to replace a clearwell water treatment facility across from the reservoir. A temporary clearwell is planned to be located at the park’s second reservoir, which would require a slope stabilization process that could lead to the trees’ imminent plucking.

The DEP first presented its tree risk analysis to PWSA in 2023, and talks have gone on since with no clear plan forward.

The proposal to remove hundreds of trees in Highland Park sparked outrage among residents and parkgoers who regularly enjoy the shade and respite from the heat that has ravaged nearly half of the country this summer.

Jim Reitz, an 88-year-old retired Oakland resident, was visiting the reservoir with his church group when a park ranger told him the surrounding trees would be cut down.

“Everybody was shocked,” he said. “We were standing there under some huge, beautiful trees. I can’t imagine them being cut down.”

Why the state says the trees should go

According to the DEP, trees alongside the reservoir pose a threat to the dam because winds could uproot them and leave a gaping hole, allowing seepage and reducing the width of the dam. Root debris could also lead to internal erosion, decreasing the stability of the embankment and a potential failure of the dam, according to DEP assessments that follow Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] guidelines.

The DEP’s letter states that any tree within 20 feet of the dam should be removed. Trees less than 6 inches in diameter should be immediately removed “without review and authorization,” and trees more than 6 inches thick should be excavated by the root ball following review.

DEP Regional Communications Manager Lauren Camarada wrote that all state dams are inspected on a periodic basis to meet safety standards. DEP also wants PWSA to submit a dam permit application to comply with safety guidelines and adds that it is aware of no “imminent plan to remove trees.”

Mayor Ed Gainey is against the idea. According to his spokesperson, Olga George, members of the administration called state officials in opposition and called for alternatives to the removal of trees. George said the trees have been there since 1911.

The trees provide crucial shade coverage, protection from flooding and landslides, and recreational enjoyment, said City Forester Lisa Ceoffe.

“Landscaping lends itself to stabilization of the park hillside, the canopy, the recreation enjoyment, the benefits of the park alone. It would be pretty catastrophic,” said Ceoffe.

How the reservoir fills in as a clearwell

The 125 million gallon reservoir is surrounded by acres of dark green woods and supplies water to portions of Squirrel Hill, Downtown, South Side and the West End, according to the PWSA website.

In 2022, the PWSA finalized a liner and cover replacement as part of a Water Reliability Plan aimed at modernizing the city’s water distribution system over the next five years, which culminates with the replacement of a 44 million gallon clearwell.

The Highland Park No. 2 Reservoir is intended to serve as a temporary clearwell — the last step in potable water treatment — while the century-old clearwell located across the Allegheny River is being replaced. But this requires the “stabilization” of the slope along the reservoir, the process putting the trees in peril.

PWSA told PublicSource that they will continue to “advocate for keeping the trees provided they do not pose a significant risk to our infrastructure or the delivery of water services.”

Stabilizing the slope around the reservoir could take years to realize and would require DEP approval, according to Mora McLaughlin, construction communication manager at PWSA.

In the meantime, George contends that “nothing is set in stone.”

Laura Turbay is an editorial intern at PublicSource

Quinn Glabicki is the climate and environmental reporter at PublicSource

This story was fact-checked by Briana Bindus

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