Summary:
In alignment with the City of Peoria’s 2017 Drought Management Plan, the Parks and Recreation Department conducted comprehensive Irrigation and Turf Reduction Studies in 2018 and again in 2022. The findings from these studies, combined with the City’s declaration of its Stage One Drought Contingency Plan in 2022, informed the Department’s successful application for grant funding through the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA) to implement a parks water conservation program. This program prioritized targeted turf reduction and landscape enhancement projects within the neighborhood parks and basin systems.
Starting in August of 2024 the Department identified non-programmable areas and locations with persistent irrigation challenges for turf removal. These areas were designed and converted to low-water-use desert landscaping, including rock mulch and drought-tolerant tree species. The landscape design intent also focused on park areas where strategic shade tree placements occurred, additionally selected landscape accent rock colors where applicable, and created new decomposed granite walking paths that provide a new experience within the neighborhood parks, as well as creating new sustainable drip irrigation for existing mature shade trees. Peoria’s Irrigation Team also worked to supplement the turf reduction project by upgrading existing infrastructure in the areas of the parks that remained untouched by turf reduction, replacing over 2,300 irrigation heads that more evenly distribute water onto remaining turf.
Upon its construction completion in October 2025, the project achieved a total reduction of approximately 45 acres of turf and the addition of over 815 new drought-tolerant trees planted representing a significant contribution to the City’s long-term water conservation and drought-resilience objectives.
Presentation will cover neighborhood parks irrigation and landscape improvements made and water conservation numbers to date.