On June 16, the Fountain Hills Town Council approved funding for a much-needed renovation of the Desert Vista off-leash dog park, one of the first such dedicated parks in Arizona, as invasive weeds and other vegetation had taken over, bare spots were abundant and irrigation problems were frequent.

Following approval, the park was closed and a defoliant was applied to kill the invasive surface vegetation. Once barren, the debris from the dead ground cover was raked by hand and removed, irrigation systems were checked and repaired where necessary, the ground was re-graded in some areas and leveled and, recently, the sod was delivered and installed.

The sod used in the park is a “midiron” sod, typically used on golf course fairways, sports fields and other high-trafficked areas. It’s considered to be one of Arizona’s toughest and most popular Bermuda grasses.

Although sod is normally delivered and installed in five-square-foot strips, the gigantic rolls of sod being used in the park renovation cover about 315 square feet each and require massive forklifts to move and position them.

These huge rolls were used because they will have the fewest seams when installed. This makes the turf look better and allows the grass to take hold much better. It’s the least expensive and fastest way to do large open installations like the dog park area. Overall, the dog park project required about 118,000 square feet of sod.

Even though the final rolls of sod were laid earlier in July, the waiting now begins. It will take time for the sod to take root. According to Fountain Hills Parks Supervisor Kevin Snipes, “depending on the weather, it could be another couple weeks before ground crews are able to make the first mowing. After that, it will be another two weeks before the next mowing. If all goes well, we will be able to use the park after that, so plan on a mid to late August opening.”

Although the park may be open for use before the date, the “official” ribbon cutting ceremony for the dog park will be held at the Tioga Street entrance on the north side of the park on Saturday, Aug. 27, at 9 a.m. Dignitaries will say a few brief words and bottled water will be available courtesy of the Association of Dog Owners Group (ADOG).