Mesa gets $1M grant to replace grass strips with sustainable rocks at parks

PHOENIX — The city of Mesa won a $1.06 million water conservation grant fund award to pay for the removal of nonfunctional turf at around 50 parks.

The million-dollar grant will enable the city to remove six-foot strips of turf adjacent to infrastructure, like block walls.

They’ll then replace the turf strips with landscape rock and cement curbing at each location, a city announcement from last week said.

Each of the around 50 parks where turf removal will take place primarily use Colorado River water, officials said.

How will the Water Conservation Grant Fund Award help Mesa?

Mesa Mayor John Giles said the project is important for the city’s sustainability.

“Being responsible stewards of our water resources is an important aspect of futureproofing Mesa,” Giles said in a statement.

“We live in the desert and how we plan our landscape impacts our water conservation goals,” he added.

The grant from Arizona’s Water Infrastructure Authority (WIFA) will enable city leaders to meet the standards aligned in their Climate Action Plan. The removal project will save over five million gallons of water each year. Plus, with the turf gone, the city will spend less money on irrigation and mowing services.

Andrea Moore, director of the Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department, said this grant promotes water security.

“We are thrilled to receive this WIFA grant as it allows us to remove approximately five acres of nonfunctional turf in our parks,” Moore said in a statement. “The savings will help us manage our water resources in the most efficient way possible.”