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