Parks & Rec Master Plan; Water Conservation Strategies
Parks Irrigation Assessments
Phoenix, AZ
Honor Award: Existing System Evaluation
SUBMITTED BY
Doug Macdonald, Verdantas
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Selected by the City of Phoenix to develop a citywide Parks Master Plan
- Establishes a long-term vision for parks, facilities, programs, and services over the next 10+ years
- Multi-disciplinary effort integrating planning, engineering, and community engagement
- Evaluated existing plans, studies, and long-term goals for current relevance
- Conducted community outreach to identify priorities and align stakeholder needs
- Analyzed parks and recreation trends and demographics
- Completed system-wide inventory, condition assessments, and capital spending analysis
- Developed a comprehensive Master Plan and Strategic Action Plan, including water conservation strategies
ROLE OF THE IRRIGATION CONSULTANT
- Supported development of water conservation strategies through irrigation assessments at 25 municipal parks
- Conducted equipment inventory and operational evaluations
- Mapped major irrigation components using GPS
- Evaluated water source pressure and system performance
- Performed supply/demand and hydraulic modeling of irrigation systems
- Developed strategies for turf reduction and system modifications
- Provided prioritized recommendations for system upgrades and improvements
SPECIAL FACTORS
- Subject to ADWR groundwater regulations and AMA safe-yield requirements
- Required compliance with Maximum Annual Water Allotments (MAWA) for turf irrigation
- Coordinated with landscape architects to evaluate water savings and ROM costs for turf reduction and system upgrades
- Used GPS mapping to document major irrigation components and create updated “as-built” records
- Field observations identified system deficiencies, operational issues, and remaining service life
- Mapping and data-supported maintenance planning, repairs, and long-term system improvements
