Tree Service Fenton MO
The Meramec at Fenton reaches flood stage at 23 feet and crested at a record 42.86 feet on 31 December 2015. Trees on the river bottom and trees on the hills above it need different care.
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How Often Does the Meramec Flood Fenton, and What Does It Do to Trees?
Often. The National Weather Service gauge at Fenton lists ten crests above the 23-foot flood stage between December 2015 and April 2025. Three passed the 32-foot major flood stage: 42.86 feet on 31 December 2015, 41.88 feet on 3 May 2017 and 32.56 feet in June 2019.
| Gauge height | What the Weather Service says happens |
|---|---|
| 22.6 ft | The Meramec Greenway walkway begins to flood |
| 25.4 ft | Water backs onto Water Street at Ferry Street |
| 30.5 ft | Gravois Road begins flooding southwest of the new bridge |
| 43.6 ft | The house at Main and Ferry begins flooding |
What standing water does to roots
Flooding cuts off oxygen in the soil, and the silt left behind restricts it further. The Missouri Department of Conservation found that growing-season floods do more harm than dormant-season floods. The 2015 crest came in winter. The 2017 and 2019 crests came with trees in leaf. Stressed trees show yellowing leaves, crown dieback and peeling bark.
What to do with a flood-damaged tree
Wait for the ground to firm up, then look at the base. Roots washed bare or a fresh lean mean the tree has lost its hold, and the Department’s advice is that a tree leaning from root breakage should be removed. Our post on when a leaning tree is a problem shows what to check, and dangerous tree removal covers one that threatens a house.
Which Fenton Trees Tolerate Flooding, and Which Do Not?
Cottonwood and black willow tolerate it best, and upland oaks, sugar maple, pine and dogwood tolerate it least. The Department of Conservation rates silver maple, boxelder and sycamore tolerant, and pin oak and river birch only moderately tolerant, although both are common on wet ground.
On the river bottom
The Department also lists silver maple, box elder and poplar among the species with brittle, easily broken wood. A bottomland yard holds trees that live through floods and then drop limbs in wind, so regular trimming and pruning matters most there.
In the hillside subdivisions
Above the floodplain the problem is pests, not water. The city’s public tree inventory, finished in December 2023, found that maples make up 21% of its street trees, oaks 15%, ash 14%, pears 9% and hackberry 6%. One street tree in five was rated in poor condition, and the plan tells the city to stop planting ash and maple.
Who Is Responsible for a Tree in Fenton: You or the City?
The city, if the tree stands on city property or city-maintained right-of-way. You, if it stands in your yard. Chapter 133 of the city code, adopted in 2023, gives the Public Works Director authority to plant, prune and remove public trees, and section 133.060 makes it unlawful for anyone else to damage, top or remove one.
For a tree in a private yard, as of October 2026 we found no removal permit in Chapter 133, and the city’s published permit list has none. Confirm that with Community Development before you cut, especially on floodplain ground or beside a creek. Section 215.100 declares a dead or decaying tree that threatens a street, sidewalk or building a public nuisance. The owner gets at least ten days to act, and the stump must come down to ground level, which means stump grinding.
- Street tree or stump in front of your house: City Hall, 636-343-2080, or publicworks@fentonmo.org.
- Permit questions: Community Development, 636-349-8110.
- A limb on a power line or an outage: Ameren Missouri.
Thompson Tree Care and Landscaping can provide a written estimate and proof of insurance if the city asks for them.
How Do Old Towne and the Hill Subdivisions Differ?
By about 160 feet of elevation. Olde Towne Plaza on Gravois Road sits at roughly 420 feet above sea level on U.S. Geological Survey data, and the 96-acre Fenton City Park on Larkin Williams Road is about the same. Westside Park, at the end of the Woodridge Trails subdivision off Bowles Avenue, is near 580 feet.
Old Towne is the old downtown by the river, around Water, Main, Ferry and Ware streets. After high water the ground there can stay soft, which limits where equipment can stand. On the hills the question is slope.
The 2020 Census counted 3,989 residents and 1,592 housing units on about six square miles. Sunset Hills is directly across the Meramec, and Kirkwood meets the far bank just north of the city.
Whose Job Is a Limb on the Power Lines in Fenton?
Ameren Missouri trims along its own lines and easements. The wire from the pole to your house, the service drop, is your responsibility. Ameren states that only qualified line-clearance contractors may work within ten feet of its higher-voltage lines, and it will disconnect a service drop by appointment so the trees around it can be trimmed safely.
After a storm, expect Ameren crews to clear the wire and leave the wood. The city’s Lawn Debris Program takes limbs under four inches thick, in bundles up to 48 by 18 inches and 50 pounds, on yard waste Mondays, weekly from April through October. Public Works (636-349-8155) runs it. For anything bigger, or a tree on the roof, call the Thompson Tree Care emergency tree service at (314) 712-3035.
Last Updated: October 2026
Fenton Floodplain and Street-Tree Questions
Most will not, if they are river-bottom species and the water dropped quickly. Iowa State University Extension says most trees escape injury when water recedes within about a week. Watch for yellow leaves and dead branch tips over the next growing season, and have any tree with a new lean looked at right away.
The City of Fenton. A tree on city-maintained right-of-way is a public tree under Chapter 133 of the city code, so do not prune or remove it yourself. Call City Hall at 636-343-2080 or email publicworks@fentonmo.org.
Maybe not. The city says the 63026 ZIP code covers a large area and the municipality is only a small part of it. Outside the city limits, the city’s street-tree rules and its free limb pickup do not apply to your lot.
Yes. Fenton’s 2023 public tree inventory found green ash to be the single most abundant species, about 12% of the trees counted, and advised the city to plant no more because of emerald ash borer. See our guide on treating or removing ash.