Three Tucson parks could soon look more like the desert instead of a grassy oasis.
It’s part of a slight makeover, being paid for by a $1.5 million grant the city received to replace grass across the Old Pueblo as a way to help reduce water usage and improve shading in neighborhoods.
The grant, awarded by the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) of Arizona, will be used for a “non-functional turf removal rebate program to promote water conservation and efficiency” as part of the city’s Drought Preparedness and Response Plan, according to an Oct. 24 news release.
The city plans to first remove 55,000 square feet, or about 1.3 acres, of non-functional turf (grass that’s just there for looks) in three different parks. The grassy areas will be replaced with “desert-adapted plants and trees.”
The second phase of the turf removal rebate plan is to “assist commercial and multifamily property owners” by replacing a targeted 200,000 square feet, or about 4.6 acres, of turf across Tucson with the same desert-adapted landscaping the parks are set to receive, Tucson Water says.
The utility says the parks were chosen based on the neighborhoods in which they are located. The areas each have a tree equity score less than 80. That’s a “metric that helps cities assess how well they are delivering equitable tree canopy cover to all residents.” It was created by American Forests, a nonprofit organization founded in 1875 that focuses on reforestation across the country. The three parks are:
James Thomas Park on the city’s south side, at 3200 S. Forgues Ave., is located in the Las Vistas neighborhood. According to the city’s dashboard, the neighborhood houses an estimated 3,282 people and its existing tree cover sits at 7%, giving Las Vistas a tree equity score of 65.
Ormsby Park, 899 W. 24th St., is located on the west side in the Barrio Santa Cruz neighborhood; with an estimated population of 205 residents, the neighborhood has a tree equity score of 62 with its existing tree canopy covering roughly 8% of the area, according to the Tucson Tree Equity Scores dashboard.
Mirasol Park, 1100 E. Silverlake Rd., is located within the South Park neighborhood, which houses an estimated 3,675 residents. The existing tree canopy is just 4%, and the neighborhood’s tree equity score sits at just 52.
Neighborhood scores, out of 100, are based on the area’s tree canopy cover and climate, as well as demographic and socioeconomic data of neighborhood residents.
The utility says the program aligns with the city’s long-term planning policies in Plan Tucson and the One Water 2100 Plan. It will be administered by Tucson Water’s Conservation Program and implemented in part by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. The initial duration of the program is two years, with a launch in 2024 and a “pilot” through 2025, according to the release.
“In total, the program will save 29 acre-feet of water,” according to the news release. The utility did not say over what period of time this savings would occur.
“Reduced water demand decreases both potable and reclaimed water production, resulting in more water remaining in local aquifers,” the utility says.
According to Tucson Water, the city’s reclaimed water system contains 160 miles of pipeline and stores 15 million gallons of water in enclosed reservoirs. Reclaimed water is specially treated for uses such as irrigation, dust control, firefighting, industrial uses as well as creating and supporting wildlife habitat.
Daily deliveries of reclaimed water can reach up to 30 million gallons in the summers, the utility says.
The city currently services a 390-square-mile area that contains 4,600 miles of pipeline for potable (drinkable) water. There are 206 active production or standby ground wells and about 60 potable storage facilities that are capable of storing 305 million gallons of drinking water.
Each year, Tucson Water delivers nearly 30 billion gallons of water to its 722,000 customers. About 90% of Tucson’s drinking water is a “blend of groundwater and Colorado River water,” the utility says.
Tucson Water did not clarify exactly how a reduced demand in reclaimed water would, in turn, create a situation where less potable water is produced.
The news of the city’s plan to remove the non-functional turf comes about one week after the Tucson City Council went on record endorsing the treatment of wastewater for drinking, as well as the large-scale capture of stormwater as measures to boost the city’s water supply.
