1. Watering of City Parks, Sports Fields, Santa Fe
Golf Course, and Fairmount Cemetery
Shane Kelton, Operations Director
Roger D. Havlak, Parks Superintendent
City of San Angelo

2. Watering Frequency/Scheduling
Purpose
• The purpose of this presentation is to discuss possible
options for water budget rates and receive direction
from City Council on irrigation practices of turf/trees for
City maintained parks/sports fields, Santa Fe Golf
Course, and Fairmount Cemetery as we move towards
and into Drought Level III of our current ordinance.

3. Watering Frequency/Scheduling
Areas for Discussion
1. Texas Bank Sports Complex
2. San Angelo Soccer Association
3. Class AA and A park sites (newly renovated or
constructed, highly visible, and most utilized parks)
•
i.e. Visitor’s Center, Kid’s Kingdom, Kirby Park, etc.
4. Other park sites (Class B thru E sites)
•
i.e. Bell Park, Brown Park, Harmon Park, etc.
5. Santa Fe Golf Course
6. Fairmount Cemetery

4. Topics for Discussion
1. Water budget funding deficits
• Inadequate funding for consistent irrigation to minimize
impacts on turf/trees
• Option to waive or lessen water fees for City-owned
open space or dedicated parks and sports fields
2. Specific locations to irrigate and related water/maintenance
costs
3. Funds for increasing drip or traditional irrigation systems
• Irrigation parts
• Labor for installation
• Future maintenance costs
• Labor and equipment costs for future maintenance

5. Current Status
Parks Department maintains a total of 555 acres.
• 292 acres (parks and sports fields) have irrigation
systems
• 194 acres of parks
• 98 acres of sports fields
• 173 acres are currently being irrigated
• i.e. Highly visible, most utilized, newly
renovated/constructed sites

6. Watering Frequency/Scheduling
Current Water Budget Issues
Division
# of
Irrigated
Acres
Current
Water
Budget
Budget Needed
for 38” of
Irrigation
Budget Needed
for 28” of
Irrigation
($4.20/1,000 gallons)
($4.20/1,000 gallons)
Parks
194
$207,948
$840,000
$620,000
Texas Bank
Sports Complex
55
$40,965
$238,000
$176,000
Fairmount
Cemetery
57
$15,115
$247,000
$182,000
Santa Fe
Golf Course
36
N/A
$156,000
$115,000

7. Watering Frequency/Scheduling
Water Rate Options
Division
# of
Irrigated
Acres
Current
Water
Budget
Budget Needed
for 38” of
Irrigation
Budget Needed
for 28” of
Irrigation
($1.04/1,000 gallons)
($1.41/1,000 gallons)
Parks
194
$207,948
$207,948
$207,948
Texas Bank
Sports Complex
55
$40,965
$59,000
$59,000
Fairmount
Cemetery
57
$15,115
$61,000
$61,000
Santa Fe
Golf Course
36
N/A
$39,000
$39,000

8. Parks and Sports Field Site Ratings
Class AA
Class A
Class B
Class C
TBSC*
Unidad*
Bell
Carl Ray Johnson
Kid’s Kingdom* MLK*
Brentwood
North River drive
City Park*
Civic League*
Brown
Rio Concho D
Visitor Center*
El Paseo*
Harmon
Sulfur Draw
Paseo Ext.*
Sunken Gardens Mountainview
Health Found. Trail
Old Town*
Rio Concho A/B
Rio Concho C
Municipal Pool Glenmore*
Santa Rita
Kirby*
Golf Course*
South Concho East
Producers*
Webster
Meadowcreek*
Santa Fe Crossing
Jaime Padron
Rio Vista South
City Hall
Santa Fe
Santa Fe East
Bart De Witt
SASA/La Liga*
Lakeview
Northern
Blue = Irrigation Systems (Minor repairs needed)
Western
Red = Irrigation Systems (Major repairs needed--$70,000)
Black = No Irrigation System
Orange = Allocated funds approved for valves/fittings, etc.
Green = Irrigation System (Repairs needed--$60,000 to $75,000)
* Sites currently being irrigated
Class D
Class E
Ave N and Campus
Churchill Blvd. Espl.
Glenmore Circle
Harris Esplanade
Harrison/Webster
Van Buren/Harrison
Live Oak Triangle
Oxford Triangle
Pruesser Espl.
Twohig/David Espl.
US Hwy 87 South*
US Hwy 87 North*
Classen Triangle
Parkways Espl.
Angelo Blvd Espl.
Panels-North 40
Police Annex
Paseo De Vaca
Wool Monument*
East 29th Complex
Ben Ficklin
Spencer Outlook
Lakeview
Kiwanis
Purkey
Pete Chapa
North Concho
Park Heights
El Paseo RR
Post Office property
Bird Triangle
Christoval Rd.
South Concho West
Santa Fe Depot

9. Watering Frequency/Scheduling
Current Tree Assessment
Location
Fairmount Cemetery
Dead
Trees
3,438
398
84
(2%)
34
4
(10%)
Santa Fe Golf Course
Stressed
Trees
(12%)
Parks/Sports Fields
Total
Trees
(1%)
88
42
(6%)
(3%)
352
1,576

10. Staff Recommendations
Parks
•Continue to irrigate highly utilized Class AA and A sites
as-needed to maintain turf and tree health throughout the
fall and winter seasons
•Only irrigate other sites with irrigation systems on an asneeded basis that have minimal repairs needed (i.e.
Harmon Park along the river)
•Continue to utilize 1,000 gallon tanks to water trees in
parks and City-maintained properties on an as-needed
basis (i.e. Sunken Gardens, North River Drive, etc.)

11. Staff Recommendations
(Parks continued)
•Set up quick-couplers or add zones to existing systems
as current budget funds and labor/time allows (i.e. Rio
Concho Section A&B)
•Utilize existing underground irrigation systems (MP Rotor
heads) that were recently installed along the river from
Concho Street to 1st Street on an as-needed basis to
maintain tree health
Fairmount Cemetery
• Allow Fairmount Cemetery staff to irrigate with
their existing underground and drip systems on an
as-needed basis to maintain tree health

12. Staff Recommendations
Santa Fe Golf Course—S. Abe Street to Beauregard Street
•
•
Utilize existing system to irrigate from public restroom to S. Abe Street (4 acres)
o
20 applications with 1” of water = 2.2 million gallons @ $1.04/1,000 gallons= $2,300
Add additional valves/zones to existing irrigation system to water trees between
public restroom and Beauregard Street (4 acres)
o
Utilize MP Rotor heads for more efficient water use
o
Project finger-like streams with minimal misting
o
Only placed at specific locations to irrigate trees when under stress
o
Parts, labor, and installation costs = $300 to $500 per MP Rotor head
o
Staff estimates 30 heads needed = $9,000 to $15,000
o
Estimated water costs/year @ $1.04/1,000 gallons = $957
o
Initial stress on trees from ditching during and immediately following
installation of systems---recommend 45 to 60 days of irrigation to offset
stress on trees
Reimburse Two Pro for water used on trees for both locations
Need direction from Council on other sites throughout the golf course (16 acres)
o
Two Pro only watering greens, tees, and approaches
o
•
•
20 applications with 1” of water = 920,000 gallons

13. Santa Fe Golf Course

14. MP Rotor Irrigation Head

15. Staff Recommendations
Water Budget Deficits
•Decrease total water fees to $1.04 per 1,000 gallons for Parks
Division, Texas Bank Sports Complex, and Fairmount
Cemetery
•Allocate the following budget amounts for FY 2013-2014
o Parks Division
$207,948
o Texas Bank Sports Complex $59,000
o Fairmount Cemetery
$61,000
o Santa Fe Golf Course
$15,000 (Parts/labor)
$3,257 (Water)

16. Staff Recommendations
Possible Sources for Funding
•Texas Bank Sports Complex
• HOT Funds
• Increase the One-half Cent Sales Tax
funds
•Fairmount Cemetery
• Increase from General Fund
•Santa Fe Golf Course
• Contingency funds from Concho River
Project—Parts/labor
• Utilize $10,000 currently allocated for
water ($2,500 per quarter)—Water

17. Staff Recommendations
Future Irrigation Issues
• Reevaluate how to address irrigation issues going into the next
fiscal budgeting cycle and/or Drought Level III