Vegetation Schedule 2024
You Can Help Keep Lines Safe
You can see by the size of our map that we cover a large area that takes several years to complete a full cycle of tree trimming. For that reason we request members work with us in the following ways to keep lines clear.
Don't plant near our lines. Even bushes and vines growing near or on poles can cause our equipment to rot quicker or prevent linemen from accessing areas to perform maintenance. For tree planting, please ensure that the outer edge of the branches of the tree at full maturity will be at least 15 feet from our overhead power lines. Roots can grow out 2-3 times the edge of the branches within just a few years so please be aware of underground lines as well. Always call JULIE at 8-1-1 to locate lines before planting.
Keep trees trimmed near secondary lines. We focus efforts on the high-voltage side of the transformer. We ask that members keep trees trimmed around secondary lines. We can send an Area Serviceman to disconnect power or take down the secondary wire so work can be performed safely. Contact our office a few days before the work is to take place.
Vegetation Management
Safety & Reliability
Trees grown too close to our lines are dangerous for our linemen working on lines, our members working near trees and our children climbing trees near lines.
Tree branches are also a leading cause of outages. Limbs contact our lines during storms, but also on mild days due to winds, small animals or broken limbs.
To keep our service safe and reliable we must control the vegetation within the right-of-way along our 2,600+ miles of distribution lines.
2024 Schedule
We have partnered with Spoon River Electric Cooperative and multiple contract crews to perform tree trimming and selected herbicide application.
These crews will cut and mow vegetation on circuits branching out from our substations in Petersburg and Barclay (green areas on map). Crews will also apply herbicide to brush as needed in areas along circuits fed from the Bluff Springs, Saidora, Kilbourne, Bishop, Middletown, Athens and New Berlin substations, as well as the areas in Petersburg trimmed in 2023 (blue areas on map).
Our Specifications
Crews are directed to trim to the American National Standards Institute requirements to assure the continued health of trees. These practices may not be the most visually appealing, but they are healthier for the tree in the long term and safer for our members, employees and the public.
Our specifications are to clear single-phase lines at least 15 feet and three-phase lines at least 25 feet from the center line of the pole, ground to sky. Smaller trees and brush under lines are removed to allow access and eliminate future growing problems.
We selectively apply herbicide to brush as needed in areas that were trimmed the previous year in order to control problematic re-growth. This is the most beneficial and cost effective method of right-of-way maintenance.
For further details download our Vegetation Management Policy.
