SPOKANE, Wash – One of Spokane’s most picturesque parks looks very different this fall, as crews install a new irrigation system at Cannon Hill Park.
The park, located on the south hill a few blocks west of Manito Park, is home to a man-made pond. The park and the pond use 25 millions of gallon per year.
The city says the park is the least efficient water user among all city parks and of golf courses. The park uses two million gallons per acre per year. In contrast, the city golf courses use 450,000 gallons per acre per year.
Crews have dug trenches for the new irrigation system, cutting off access to the west side of the park. The restroom is closed for the winter, but the playground is still accessible.
A complete pond renovation is up next, with construction of a new fill system slated for next year.
The new system will mean less water waste and also reducing the need for daytime watering.
Funding for the project comes from the voter-approved Together Spokane initiative, which calls for improvements at parks and schools throughout the city.
Cannon Hill Park was originally home to a brickyard in the late 1880s, with bricks made there that helped rebuilt the city after the great fire of 1889.
The park was originally called Adams Park because the land was owned by John Quincy Adams’ grandson.
The design of the new park was part of the Olmstead Brothers’ plan that laid the foundation for the parks system in place today.
RELATED COVERAGE: Watch our America’s 250th story about the legacy of Spokane Parks
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