parks and recreation drought impact 2011
DESCRIPTION
In 2011, the City of Arlington Parks and Recreation Department was impact from a severe drought in North Texas. this presentation was given the Park Board to update them on the challenge.TRANSCRIPT
Arlington Parks & Recreation
Drought Impacts
DROUGHT UPDATETexas Experiences Worst Ever One Year Drought As Heat Wave Continues
• Nearly 99.93% of Texas is experiencing drought conditions, with 73.49% experiencing “exceptional” drought conditions.
• The temperatures in July were the hottest ever recorded, with an average temperature of 87.2°F (previous record was 86.5°F).
• The state has also received its least year-to-date precipitation, with 6.53 inches of rainfall (historical average was 16.03 inches and previous record was in 1917 at 9.36 inches).
DROUGHT UPDATETexas Drought 2011: State Endures Driest 10-Month Span On Record
DROUGHT UPDATE
Forestry & Beautification Irrigation systems
Turned on old systems on larger trees
Repair abandoned systems
Daily monitoring to ensure proper working order
Supplement water trucks (city / contract)
Supporting new landscapes w/ drip irrigation
Supporting spray systems with poor spray coverage
Supporting trees w/o irrigation - watering over 1,000 weekly
DROUGHT UPDATE
Forestry & Beautification Risk Assessment
Monitoring trees for failure
Removing dead trees
Documenting loss and replacement needs
Property Focus
Focus more on properties with most value added
Monitoring all properties and identifying changes necessary to survive future droughts
DROUGHT UPDATE
Golf Impacts to Golf
Highest water consumption in July
Evaporating faster than consumption (June - August)
Hand watering hot spots daily
Hand watering trees
Applying wetting agent throughout the summer
Severe reduction in play
DROUGHT UPDATE
Park Maintenance Issues with Park Infrastructure
Parking lots Trails Fencing Formal athletic fields Informal practice fields
Actions Hand watering trees as much as possible Filling in cracks with sandy loam Daily monitoring of all properties
DROUGHT UPDATE
HPSC Fencing w/o Mow Strip
HPSC Common Areas
DROUGHT UPDATE
HPSC Parking Lot C Constructed in August 2010
Cracks limited to edges
Caused by trees pulling water from underneath lot
DROUGHT UPDATE
Woodland West ParkOpen Space
DROUGHT UPDATE
HPSC Multi-Purpose Fields (North Quad)
DROUGHT UPDATE
Lake Arlington Lake level is +/-9’ below normal as of 9.1.11
Bowman Springs Ramps have been closed since 8.5.11.
Simpson Ramps are projected to close the week of 9.12.11.
Boat traffic is minimal due to low levels and extreme heat.
DROUGHT UPDATE
Water Restrictions – Stage 1 Effective August 28, 2011
APRD watering on Tuesdays and Fridays
Golf – greens and tees daily, Ditto exempt
Watering skinned areas of athletic fields to control dust
Exceptions
Athletic complex, ATC and Golf - extended watering times because of business case
DROUGHT UPDATE
Water Restrictions – Stage 2 No plans to enter in to Stage 2 at this
time…
Stage 1 requirements plus…
Watering parks once per week
No dust control on athletic fields
DROUGHT UPDATE
Drought Recovery Plan 2012 City Business Plan
Short term – What is the plan until the drought ends?
Long term – What is the plan if the drought continues into next summer?
Arlington Parks & Recreation
Drought Impacts