Irrigating newly planted grass seed in roadside areas disturbed by construction is a common challenge for many local agencies. To address the problem, the City of Edina Engineering Department adapted a temporary roadside turf irrigation system developed by turfgrass researchers at the University of Minnesota.
The City of Edina received a $5,900 grant through the LRRB's Operational Research Assistance (OPERA) Program to build and test the temporary roadside turf irrigation system. The Edina project team assembled the city’s system with parts readily available at most hardware retailers for less than $200.
The city tested the system along a portion of the roadside of a smaller city road and utilities reconstruction project. The temporary system and a control plot were installed along a portion of the project that was not watered by a permanent irrigation system. City staff monitored staff time, gallons of water, and length of time to achieve 90 percent coverage with 6-inch turf grasses.
With the wet fall last year, the city did not see any difference in the turf establishment between the test and control sections. Staff would like to do the test again this year. The city intends to share the design, installation, and use of the temporary roadside turf irrigation system with other local agencies.
Learn more:
- Fact sheet: Temporary Roadside Turf Irrigation System (LRRB, Dec. 2019)
- Video: LRRB OPERA Demonstration Project: Temporary Roadside Turf Irrigation System (LRRB, Dec. 2019, 2:21 min.)
