Thursday, Oct. 2, 2003 | 10:59 a.m.
The grass really will be greener on the other side of Clark County parks in years to come. But it also will, increasingly, be plastic.
Officials unveiled a $15 million, five-year plan Wednesday to replace much of the old sod with artificial turf. Joining the dark green plastic turf will be the natural hues of the desert, as natural desert landscaping replaces irrigated turf on medians and other areas of county property.
The Clark County Commission is expected to approve the program Tuesday.
The program targets water use and by the end of the five years should save about 400 million gallons annually -- about enough water for 1,200 households, officials said. Initial savings are predicted to be about 100 million gallons, which would reduce the county's water bill by about $200,000 in the first year. The savings are expected to be even greater in future years.
By 2008, the turf conversion program should save the county $433,000 annually, the parks department estimated in its water conservation plan.
While the program will save water and money in some areas, it will not be cheap. The per-acre cost for the conversion comes out to about $155,000, taking into account a hoped-for recovery of about $4 million from a turf-rebate program offered by the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which is seeking to trim water use throughout the region.
But officials say there will be other long-term yearly savings. Clark County parks department officials say the cost of maintaining an acre of living turf is about $7,500. They estimate that the cost for the synthetic version is about $2,500.
If those numbers hold up, the county would save more than $500,000 annually on maintenance costs. George Stevens, county finance director, said the combined savings from maintenance and water would be "in the ballpark" of $1 million annually -- and the savings are likely to grow as water and labor become more expensive.
"The payback on $11 million would be less than 10 years," said Jeff Harris, Clark County parks planning manager.
His bosses on the Clark County Commission downplayed the cost, which includes a first-year investment of $5.5 million.
"We believe we will make up the difference by saving water and deferring maintenance," said Commissioner Rory Reid, who also is a member of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Commissioner Myrna Williams said the investment will continue to benefit county taxpayers far beyond the five years of the plan.
"We've got to look beyond even five years to what the savings are going to be in the long run," she said. "We've got to plan here for 20 years. The savings will accumulate every year. It's called long-range planning.
"Each year the savings become greater and greater," Williams said. "We don't want to do Band-Aids. We want to do solutions.
"The county is focused on striking a balance between maintaining our quality of life and dealing realistically with the fact that Southern Nevada exists in a desert and has a limited water supply," she said.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority, which has worked to include business and institutional water conservation in addition to residential programs, supports the county program.
"Anything that a public agency, business or resident does that reduces water usage benefits the entire community," water authority spokesman Vince Alberta said. "The action by the county demonstrates leadership and it's the type of leadership that the residential community wants.
"It's a short term investment with long-term gains."
Officials said the conversion would give the county some room to expand or establish other parks.
"For every 100 million gallons we save, we can build and maintain an 80-acre park" with the money saved, Harris said.
Work will begin within the next year at 17 county parks. More than 20 acres of turf at Desert Breeze Park, the adjoining soccer complex and Sunset Park is slated to be removed and replaced with desert landscaping. Also, 16 ball fields covering more than 14 acres will be covered with artificial turf.
In years two through five of the plan, another 20 acres of synthetic turf would go on ball fields and other surfaces, while desert landscaping would replace turf on another 46 acres.
"This plan allows us to cut back on our turf without affecting the amount of space available for recreation," Commissioner Mark James said.
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