Drainage department looks to curb tree growth in county ditches

To limit tree growth, the county sprays ditches to kill trees but there are a lot of miles of ditches to cover, and trees still sprout up, growing beyond where a spray is effective.
When they do grow larger, the Swift County Parks and Drainage Department needs larger equipment to deal with the trees. That equipment can be expensive.
At its meeting last Tuesday, department Supervisor Jake Knapper provided the county board of commissioners with quotes for a mower attachment that can cut trees up to 8 inches in diameter and a tractor onto which it can be mounted.
The Diamond Mower price was $110,435. The cost of the recommended tractor, a Midwest Machinery JD 6R, was $216,000 for a total cost of $326,435.

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