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Walworth County parks to pilot reduced mowing schedule, expand turf management to curb invasives
Summary
Parks staff said the county will implement a revised mowing plan this year to capture benefits from a previously proposed prairie conversion, paired with a new spray buggy program for targeted herbicide application and a four‑tier turf standard across campus and parks.
Walworth County parks staff told the Park Committee on May 19 they will implement a revised mowing plan this season and begin an expanded turf management program to reduce invasive weeds and improve lawn health.
Staff said the mowing changes were intended to retain benefits from a prairie conversion concept that was previously removed from the campus plan; lowering mowing frequency in certain areas should reduce labor, CO2 emissions and equipment wear. The county will manage campus turf under a published administrative procedure that defines tiers from “no mow” to higher standard maintenance zones.
To support reduced mowing, staff said the parks division purchased a ride‑on spray buggy capable of granular and liquid herbicide application. The buggy was piloted late last year and staff plan follow‑up seasonal chemical applications and overseeding to improve turf density over multiple years. “We have to start and we're starting now,” a parks staff member said, noting visible improvements will be multi‑year.
Committee member Mariette Nowak asked whether the county had enough chemicals on hand; staff replied that applications would follow mowing and be applied while conditions favored product longevity. Staff acknowledged they are behind their desired schedule for invasive control but said new equipment, training and materials position them to make progress.
The staff presentation also noted continuing public expectations about lawn appearance; the parks division said the campus mixes no‑mow peripheral areas with higher‑maintenance turf zones and will seek to balance operational efficiency with public aesthetic standards.
