Turf experiment completed

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004 | 11:08 a.m.

Las Vegas parks officials are embarking on a million-dollar plan to replace grass with artificial turf, which officials say will save water and allow for more playing time on the fields.

The city is making the move to artificial turf after trying it out for three months on two soccer fields at Ed Fountain Park, and on a baseball infield at Rainbow Park since early March.

The city budget includes $1 million to switch older fields from grass to turf, and a new 130-acre, $30 million park in Summerlin expected to open in the spring will include seven fields covered with artificial turf.

The artificial fields cost more to install than grass and get hotter than grass, but the benefits have come in a water savings and added playing time, officials said.

Players and coaches also sang the praises of the artificial fields, saying the only drawback is that they get very hot when it's hot outside.

"It's awesome. It's great," Dusty Deskins, an assistant coach for a girls team that has been using the artificial turf fields at Ed Fountain Park.

"The downside is it carries the heat, but the surface is easier on the legs because of the crushed rubber underneath, and there's the flat surface and the durability."

Deskins, who is also coach of the girls varsity soccer team at Sierra Vista High School, said the ball even bounces naturally on that artificial turf.

Las Vegas City Councilman Lawrence Weekly, whose district includes Ed Fountain park, said he's "heard nothing but rave reviews" about the fields.

Weekly said the switch to turf has been an expensive investment by the city, which is acting in response to the worst drought on record.

"We're being responsible here," he said.

Weekly said a long-term commitment to replacing all grass fields with artificial turf might depend on the drought because the turf is so expensive.

Larry Haugsness, city director of field operations, estimated installation of an artificial turf soccer field cost $300,000 to $400,000, compared with about $100,000 for a grass field.

John Black, the city parks maintenance manager, said a grass soccer field typically uses 4 million gallons of water a year. By switching to artificial turf, Black said city officials hope to reduce water use by 80 percent, which would save $8,000 a year. Turf fields use some water for cleaning and keeping it cool on hot days, he said.

City spokesman David Riggleman said that so far the only drawback to the turf is that it tends to get hot on hot days, which makes it a bad choice for picnicking areas, but OK for playing fields that have sprinklers to cool it.

"It saves water and you can use it all the time," Riggleman said, explaining that the artificial turf fields can be played around the clock, while the grass fields need to be left alone about one week per month to stop them from wearing away.

Haugsness also said the ability to play on the artificial turf all the time, was a big benefit.

Although exactly which older fields will be converted to turf is still to be decided, Haugsness said he expects to the field surface switch will happen at two soccer fields and several baseball fields this year. And, he said, hopefully even more the following year.

"You save water and the fields can be played so much more. You can play all the time on artificial turf," he said. "We're still in the infancy of our dealings with it but someday all the fields might be artificial turf."