A Dallas Park and Recreation Department employee skillfully mows the turf at Arcadia Park. When continuous heavy rainfall saturates park land, this task becomes exacerbated even after the rains cease. Saturated turf conditions cannot not withstand the weight of the heavy mowing equipment without causing ruts and other damages to the grounds and equipment. Because several parks are located within a flood plain, many of the mowing crews are be redirected to assist with flood and storm debris removal to make parks safe and accessible. In some instances, mowing may be hindered due to the collection of debris on the turf in many parks. To further add issue, grass grows faster after receiving abundant rainfall. This means the grass can be very tall by the time crews are able to return to mowing operations which requires mowing at a slower rate in addition to having to make multiple passes over the thick turf to prevent clumping.
During normal circumstances, parks are scheduled for a 10-day average mowing cycle during the growing season months from March thru the end of November.
The Department recognizes the turf conditions may sometimes become unsightly or unpleasant after heavy rainfall as Park Maintenance and Operations crews catch up. Dallas Park and Recreation endeavors to expedite the return to normalcy by having scheduling some mowing crews to work overtime to get caught up sooner. According to a senior manager with the Park Maintenance and Operations Division, David Lopez, diligent strategy is put in place to ensure the best service during these times: “We triage our efforts with a safety-first approach, clearing noticeable storm debris in the Dallas Park system from our highly used areas such as trails or roads. Although mowing requires a little more time due to the turf heights, we transition the cuts in accordance with best management practices until we get the turf back to our standard grass heights.”
Your patience is greatly appreciated, as we get the parks back into shape for your continued enjoyment.
For more information, contact The Park Maintenance and Operations Division Headquarters at (214) 670-1923 or visit
dallasparks.org.
