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MEMORANDUM <br />DATE: October 20, 2009 <br />TO: Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee <br />FROM: Michelle Olson, Parks and Recreation Manager <br />SUBJECT: Irrigation Project at Cummings Park <br />Background <br />At our annual park tour in August, several members of the committee asked if the City would <br />consider irrigation at Cummings Park. Installation of an irrigation system at Cummings Park for <br />an estimated $17,000 was originally in the 2009 CIP but was removed to be considered at a <br />future date. Staff feels the need to move forward on this project in the near future. However, at <br />the March, 2009 City Council Work Session, the Council asked that this project be removed <br />from the CIP for future consideration. The committee asked staff to bring this item to the <br />October PTRC meeting for further discussion. <br />_Tnctifioatinn <br />The Cummings Park field serves as one of the two main sport fields in the City. The field is <br />utilized three seasons of the year by City programs and association programs. In 2001 when the <br />pavilion was built, the City included installation of a pipe for the possibility of a future irrigation <br />system. This field is heavily used and the result is a poor playing field. The irrigation system <br />will help keep the field in playable conditions. Healthy grass is an essential element of any <br />outdoor sport field. Thick, green, lush turf provides a safer surface for athletes, reducing the <br />amount of injuries experienced on the playing field. It is also aesthetically pleasing. An <br />irrigation system is necessary to keep most fields in healthy condition, especially if the field has <br />heavy use. Generally, most fields need to be watered every three days or so from June through <br />September, and as needed the rest of the year to keep the soil moist. Applying at least 1" of <br />water per week will help to maximize grass growth. Dormant or dry grasses do not have any <br />recuperative or competitive potential at all. Without an irrigation system, field use in the <br />summer causes accelerated wear. <br />The field was in poor shape this spring/summer and without irrigation, staff was finding it <br />difficult to fix bare areas and holes. In order to get grass to grow, the City staff ended up putting <br />together a make shift sprinkler system on occasions when we had time. This probably occurred <br />\\Metro-inet.us\ardenhills\Admin\Committees & CommissionsTarks Trails and Recreation Committee\Misc\Benefits of irrigation.doc <br />