Ballfields at park to get water-smart turf

By Cassie Tomlin

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 | midnight

Grass surrounding ballfields at Hemenway Park and Veterans Memorial Park will be replaced with trees and shrubbery that consume less water.

The city predicts the change will save $3,400 and 5.7 million gallons of water every year — 55 gallons per square foot.

Work began last month and should finish in mid-December on the $231,380 project, which will remove 104,400 square feet of turf, City Engineer Jim Keane said.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority and Clark County Regional Flood Control District will refund the city $200,159, he said.

The balance will come from residential construction tax revenue.

Keane said grass on slopes outside the fences of fields at both parks was difficult to mow and wasted water, which flowed downhill.

At Veterans Memorial Park, trees and shrubs will cover half of the area the lawn did, and landscape gravel will fill the rest.

At Hemenway Park, the area to be converted is a storm water detention basin, so half of new look will be trees and shrubs and the other half will be larger rocks.

The city last month replaced a smaller grassy area at the Public Works shops on Railroad Avenue, and a year and a half ago converted lawns at ABC Park to desert landscape.

Cassie Tomlin can be reached at 948-2073 or cassie.tomlin@hbcpub.com.