The City of Las Cruces has been awarded a $75,000 Water Smart Grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to improve irrigation at Apodaca Park, and ball fields at the Soldados Multipurpose Complex, Paz Park, Harty Field, Maag Park, Galla T-Ball Complex, and the Provencio-Van Dame Complex.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation funding will pay for half of the $150,000 total project cost to make the improvements.
The funding will enable the City to install automated irrigation technology for watering one community park and seven ball fields, totaling approximately 52 acres. This new system will control both the schedule and total output of irrigation water based on environmental conditions such as soil factors and weather.
The City will also implement a centralized control system which will lead to more efficient irrigation and water use at the identified facilities. This project implements goals identified in several of the City’s 2014 Water Resources Management Plan.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation funding for Las Cruces is one of 58 Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects across the U.S. that were approved by the federal agency. In New Mexico, Las Cruces was only one of four projects that were approved.