PIMA — Rain is good for the watershed, but not so good when trying to get new grass to take root.
On Tuesday, Pima Town Manager Vernon Batty told the Town Council that the start of Pima’s inaugural youth soccer program has been pushed back to Nov. 4 due to the condition of the fields.
Batty explained that the seeding of Bermuda grass usually takes a few applications if the weather cooperates.
“The first of June started the grass — we started late — and then as soon as we got the good topsoil down it rained really, really hard, and it washed all that away. So we had to re-do that,” Batty said.
Anticipating about 60 percent growth, a second overseed was conducted, which, again, was washed away by heavy rains.
Batty said rather than wait another year, Batty said the bare spots will be filled in with a hearty grass — winter rye — and a heavy seeding of Bermuda grass will take place next spring.
Thanks to $200,000 in funding from United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties, the new fields will be able to host up to five youth games at a time.
Batty said plans call for a ribbon-cutting before the first matches, as well as food trucks and other vendors on site for the games.
