Officials tell Action News it's to prevent flooding during the winter months and also to keep people safe
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Crews were hard at work Wednesday cleaning up the basin in Fahrens Creek.
"Crews will be removing any limbs that are falling from the trees," said Projects Work Manager Juan Olmos.
The city has year-round maintenance, but they decided to hire a crew for this crucial project.
Olmos said the clean-up is to prevent the creek from overflowing again.
In addition, public safety is a top priority.
"We want to prevent any issues with damage to any property, whether it's private or any person. We also want to trim trees so that when the storms come, whether there's wind or rainstorms, you know, we won't have damage to vehicles, to person's houses," said Olmos.
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As crews continue to chop away, Kara Middlebrooks is grateful for their efforts.
Pictures show a tree that loomed over her home earlier this year.
The tree ended up falling over her driveway.
She was thankful it didn't do damage to her home or car.
It was in 2011 when she was up early and then heard what sounded like an explosion.
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"We walked in and saw the branch poking through our ceiling in the dining room. It's a horrible feeling, I often thought, my bedroom is right there; what if something comes down in the middle of the night when I'm asleep," said Middlebrook.
City officials said the contracted crews will continue working on these problem areas for the next few months.
If you live near an area of concern, city officials say to contact them, and they will do their best to help you.
The City of Merced's contact information can be found here.
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