Taking Care of Our Parks

by Terry Jungman

There is some concern among the Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) maintenance staff that the increased usage of our parks system by athletic sports teams may have detrimental effects on turfgrass growth and recovery. The intense pace and cutting involved in sports such as soccer and ultimate Frisbee is beginning to cause an unsustainable amount of damage, so preventative measures are being implemented to promote park use in the long-term.

When temperatures begin to drop during the winter months, most types of turfgrass will go into a dormant state where growth and recovery halts. Turfgrass will typically go dormant after the first hard freeze and can be identified by a loss of its green color. Once temperatures begin to rise, the grass will slowly move out of the dormant stage and continue normal growth patterns.

Because the turfgrass is susceptible during this dormant period, PARD is requesting that cleats not be worn on park facilities during the months that the grass is dormant. We are also requesting that park users be aware of where they play and avoid repeatedly impacting the same area. Ideally, a park user would assess the condition of a potential recreation area and move to another area if recent damage is already present. Rotating play through different areas and changing the orientation of the fields will help reduce this damage.

These requests are temporary and only applicable to open areas of general recreation park lands like Auditorium Shores, Butler Park, and the Great Lawn at Zilker Park, not dedicated sports fields like Circle C, Onion Creek Soccer Complex, and the Southeast Metropolitan Park Soccer Fields.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Scott Young
Turf Maintenance Specialist
City of Austin, Parks and Recreation Department
Office 512-478-0905

Terry Jungman
Engineering Technician
City of Austin, Parks and Recreation Department
Office 512-974-9479