Reducing Water Use in the Park

​​​Over the last few years San Francisco has had well below average rainfall. Last rain season, we’ve had a total of 8.92 inches of rain. Our normal rain fall is 23.65 inches annually.

At the Presidio, we’re doing our best to respond to this major water challenge. You may have noticed that grass in some areas is looking a little brown. This is because we’re reducing our water use and maintaining park landscapes in the most sustainable way we can.

In recent weeks, we’ve taken these steps:

1. Running our sprinkling systems less often and for shorter periods
2. Maintaining our irrigations systems carefully to avoid leaks
3. Exploring new methods for reducing our water usage
4. Adding a carbon-based fertilizer in soil so it retains water
5. Training our staff to monitor our soil and our water usage, and report any issues

As a result, you might be noticing that the turf’s color is changing. This is called “summer dormancy.” It does not mean the turf is dying. We hope that with our careful watering – and hopefully the return of winter rain – the turf will recover and be green once again.

We’ll continue to mow the lawns when they’re a little higher and leave the clippings as a natural mulch. We’ll also initiate a turf overseeding program in the fall to speed up the turf’s recovery.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Work Order Service Center at (415) 561-4270 or WODesk@presidiotrust.gov.