Dozens of trees have been cut down in Irvington's Ellenberger Park. Here's why.

Dozens of trees have been cut down in Irvington's Ellenberger Park and residents are not happy about it.

The tree removal is part of an effort to clean up sewage overflows from the Pleasant Run waterway that runs through the park. Citizens Energy, which is in charge of the DigIndy project and consequent tree removal, said vegetation loss is "never taken lightly."

Still, Citizens said "Indianapolis will begin to realize incredibly substantive improvements to the quality of our waterways and natural ecology" as a result of these incremental steps.

Here's what you need to now about the tree removal project.

How many trees have been removed?

It is difficult to provide an exact number of how many trees were cut, said Citizens spokesman Ben Easley, given the large variety of vegetation in the construction zone. The majority of the clearing has been bushy, understory vegetation and young trees. Still, they estimate that at least several dozen mature trees have been cleared.

Easley said the construction team worked closely with Indy Parks and Indiana Department of Natural Resources to create a plan to limit the environmental impact of the project. Some of the trees cleared also were invasive species, and their removal brings an environmental benefit.

When will the work be completed?

The tree clearing began on Monday and is expected to be completed by the end of the week, according to Easley. The vegetation management is required at this time of year — and must be completed by April — to comply with Indiana regulations and to minimize impacts to Indiana bat habitat.

Why were the trees removed?

Citizens Energy has been working in Ellenberger Park for the last couple years on the Pleasant Run portion of the DigIndy project. The required blasting and tunneling in the park was completed last summer. The next phase will connect the existing sewer overflow points to the major underground tunnel storage system.

The vegetation management will provide access for equipment to complete the construction of the sewer system and also mitigate the risk of roots impacting the new sewer lines in the future.

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Will the trees be replaced?

Citizens plans to replace the lost trees, the water utility said. It is working with a consultant on what is needed for the appropriate level of mitigation. While they don't have specifics yet, Easley said hundreds of trees will be planted to offset the losses. Citizens is waiting to hear from Indy Parks on the details of what types of trees to plant, where to plant them and when.

What is the Dig Indy project?

The DigIndy Project is a nearly 28-mile long network of very large tunnels (18-feet in diameter) being built 250-feet beneath the city. It begins near the Indiana State Fairgrounds to the north and runs all the way to Indianapolis' south side — making it one of, if not the largest public works project in the city's history.

The tunnels will store more than 250 million gallons of sewage during and after wet weather, keeping that pollution from going into the city's waterways as it currently does during many rain events.

Call IndyStar reporter Sarah Bowman at 317-444-6129 or email at sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStar’s environmental reporters: Join The Scrub on Facebook.

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Dozens of trees cut down in Irvington park. Here's why