"Hot" Topic--Parks irrigation schedule: Our parks team is ahead of schedule getting our irrigation systems charged up and watering all 90+ Arvada parks. We are about 75 percent complete. Unfortunately, the hot, dry weather conditions are lengthening the time it takes for grounds to soften and grasses to green up. Our normal April and May showers have not materilized to help out! Thanks for your patience, as the team continues to work hard to keep our parks beautiful!
As part of voluntary water conservation efforts, Arvada residents are asked not to water their lawns between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The City occasionally receives calls asking why we don't follow our own advice in our City Parks.
The primary reason why watering often occurs in parks during those daylight hours is that given the many hundreds of acres that require watering and the number of irrigation zones in any given park, there are simply not enough hours between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. to complete the cycle.
Another reason daytime watering occurs in places like the Stenger/Lutz complex is due to the high use of the complex on weekends and three-day holiday periods. During these periods the turf areas lose the base level of soil moisture required for plant health and player safety, thus requiring additional watering during weekdays when the fields are not in use.
Finally, annual seed/sod repair and grounds rehabilitation can account for short watering cycles throughout the day at specific locations. For example, when the City upgrades a median by putting in new seed, plants and trees, additional watering may be required to get the landscaping established.
Rest assured that the City does monitor its usage and works to keep volume below its historical use.