Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with new information.
Town soccer fields, closed due to the drought and local outdoor water ban, will be available for South Berwick Recreation Department use Sept. 8, thanks to department revenues that paid for grass seed and water to restore fields at Agamenticus Estates damaged by drought.
The town bought and began planting drought-resistant winter rye grass seed on the soccer fields last week, and the Fire Department is irrigating the fields with 7,000 gallons of water delivered twice weekly by a septic system company “to ensure the integrity of the soccer fields this fall,” Town Manager Tim Pellerin told the Town Council at the Aug. 26 meeting.
The water is being purchased from Morgridge LW & Son of Eliot with funds from the Recreation Department soccer revenue acounts, according to Nicole Drake, recreation director.
The soccer season, scheduled to start Sept. 2 and run through Oct. 18, has been pushed back a week while the seeding is being done.
“The purpose of these revenue accounts is to have funds to put back into programs, equipment and facilities without impact to taxpayers,” said Drake. “This seemed like a good purpose so I offered to cover the cost since it seems to be our best hope of running a program this season. ”
A community soccer organization also offered to assist with the cost since loss of the field significantly impacts them as well, she added.
The Recreation Department does not have any playing options other than the town fields, Drake said, “so the hope is that we can get onto the fields later this week and pick up as normal next week. We have 220 kids in South Berwick Rec soccer that hope so too!”
Use of the fields this fall will be restricted to the Recreation Department’s soccer program, said Pellerin. In previous years the Seacoast Christian Academy and Marshwood School District soccer programs also have used the fields.
Councilor Melissa Costella questioned whether the restoration project will be successful.
“I don’t feel seeding and watering will do much good because everything is so dry,” said Costella, suggesting that “morning dew in the fall can act as a form of irrigation.”
Pellerin said he didn’t think that would be sufficient to protect the fields.
“Right now the only alternative is to let kids play and destroy the field, and we may need to close the soccer program as a result,” he said. “We will try anything before we say no to the recreation kids.”
Pellerin did agree, however, with Costella’s recommendation that the fields not be mowed because shorter grass could intensify drought conditions.
“The fields haven’t been mowed since July,” he noted.
