By Todd Burley
Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) manages 6,414 acres, filled with many plants that require watering to differing degrees. At the same time, climate change is extending our typical summer drought season, and we are increasingly dealing with water shortages when plants need it most. Irrigation is also one of SPR’s biggest expenses, accounting for 75% of our water use, so finding ways to conserve water while maintaining our living assets is a critical issue.
Luckily, for almost 20 years, Karen Galt, a Senior Landscape Architect, has led the effort to improve our irrigation system. When she started in this role in 2007 only 50 of our 489 parks were using “smart” irrigation systems, linked to computers in our District Headquarters via a dial-up cell connection. That number has since tripled to 161, with 85% of our irrigated land on updated smart irrigation systems. These new systems connect to a centralized program that is mapped and tracked so we can monitor leaks, use, and other issues in real time. It also adjusts watering to actual weather data so plants get what they need when they need it.
Karen has built institutional knowledge, standards, and annual trainings that ensure SPR’s irrigation will continue efficiently beyond her retirement this month. And she has advocated for dedicated funding to expand our system via the Municipal Park District. Central to her motivation is helping others be more efficient in their use of time and resources and making connections that support long-term coordination.
One of Karen’s wishes to continue this work is that SPR would identify areas where irrigation is unnecessary and build the internal and external acceptance that dormant plants can be beautiful, too. Imagine areas of “golden grass” in passive recreation areas. Or expanded pollinator habitat areas that use native plants adapted to our seasonal rainwater patterns.
We are so grateful for Karen’s contribution to water management at SPR over the last two decades. Her monthly water use reports, annual trainings, depth of knowledge, systems-level thinking, and overall positive attitude have transformed irrigation and more in our department. Happy Trails, Karen! We’ll see you out in the parks.