Drought shuts Reno dog park; here are alternatives

A popular pasture used by Reno-area residents for more than a decade to run their dogs off-leash will soon close for the summer as the area's latest casualty to the four-year drought.

Closure of the pasture at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park comes as a drought-diminished Truckee River lowers to the point flow into the Highland Ditch, the pasture's only source of irrigation water, is cut off. That's expected to happen any day.

Experts have concluded that keeping the 25-acre pasture open through the summer as the grass dries and goes dormant – a situation that would be complicated by dog urine undiluted with irrigation water – would result in a "very high" likelihood of long-term damage to the pasture.

"This is for the long-term sustainability of the pasture, not just this year but into the future," said Andy Mink, district manager for Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space. "If we pound it down over the course of the summer, plus all the urine from the dogs, it will kill off the pasture to where it won't come back."

A former cattle and hay pasture where a crop of hay is still typically cut late each summer, the county-owned area has been used as an off-leash dog park since about 2000 or 2001, Mink said. Thousands of people and dogs use it, with as many as 500 to 800 people with dogs visiting during peak days, Mink said.

"We absolutely understand this is going to impact a lot of people and what they do but looking long term we feel it's necessary," Mink said. "Unfortunately, this is the direction to take."

Dozens of people and dogs Monday were using the pasture, which is currently green and flooded with irrigation water. Those told of the county's plans were keenly disappointed.

"They are going to have an uproar," said Cyndi Ferris, who said the pasture is the only place in the Reno-Sparks area where people can run their dogs off-leash across a sizable and safe area.

"I'm appalled," said her friend, Cindy King. The two women typically bring their dogs to the pasture two or three times each week.

"I know there's a water shortage. I don't know what the answer is," King said. "There are people that can't take their dogs anyplace else. It's not right."

WHERE ARE THE OFF LEASH DOG PARKS?

Matt Messerli said he will have to take his dog Russell to another dog park, likely the one at Sparks Marina.

"That's the only other dog park I know of but it's a lot smaller," Messerli said. "I think it's important to have a place like this to bring a dog.

"This is terrible," Messerli said.

County officials studied the possibility of irrigating the pasture this summer in some other manner than surface water drawn from the Highland Ditch. Use of traditional sprinklers or use of potable water would be cost prohibitive, they said.

Over the course of the summer and early fall, the pasture will be fenced off and closed to all public use. The pasture will still be used for scheduled public events, including the Great Reno Balloon Races and cyclocross competition. Parks trails and other facilities will remain open.

MORE INFORMATION ON THE CLOSURE FROM WASHOE COUNTY:



