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Riverdale outlines three-phase hillside clearing and pipeline replacement along canal
Summary
City staff described a three-phase plan to remove trees and replace an above-ground emergency pipeline along a Riverdale canal, beginning with near-term tree removal and permits with UDOT and the city.
Riverdale City staff presented a three-phase plan to clear vegetation on a hillside along the city canal, replace an exposed emergency pipe, and clear downstream debris toward the I‑84 crossing.
City staff said the work will begin with tree removal this month, leaving roots in place to preserve slope stabilization. The presenter identified Nyes Save a Tree as the low bidder for the clearance contract and said final contract documents are being completed.
The second phase will remove the existing above-ground emergency pipeline and install a single, buried fused HDPE pipe that will tie into the pipe crossing South Weber Drive. Staff said permits are being obtained from both the city and the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). The city expects to remove water from the canal on Oct. 15 and to perform pipeline work during a roughly October–February window for the tie‑in and installation.
A third phase would clear vegetation downstream from an old penstock/power plant structure toward the I‑84 crossing; staff said that phase is more complicated because Utah Power & Light owns some of the land, though the city holds rights to access it. That downstream clearing could occur next summer or later, staff said.
Councilor Stevens asked about springs and geotechnical work on the hillside; staff replied a geotechnical investigation was completed and that the project team plans to minimize impacts on the slope (for example, leaving roots in place) and to perform reseeding and slope‑stability work after pipe installation.
City staff emphasized the pipeline functions as a gravity emergency-valve line that is not normally under pressure; they also warned that when the canal is first filled each spring a short flush can carry dirt and debris downhill. The presenter said the contractor work on the clearing should start by the end of the month and continue through October, with the primary pipeline replacement planned during the October–February window.
