Last updated: November 2024
The Dreamy Draw Recreation Area is located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is situated near the Phoenix Mountains Preserve and provides access to various hiking and biking trails, as well as scenic desert landscapes. The Dreamy Draw Recreation Area project is a comprehensive initiative aimed at enhancing an existing park space. Key improvements include infrastructure upgrades, trail enhancements, and ecological restoration efforts. Through the construction of new ramadas, expanded parking, and increased accessibility features, the project seeks to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for all visitors. This endeavor was launched as part of the City's Drought Pipeline Project. One important component of the project is revegetation, which includes the planting of native saguaros to support ecological restoration and improve the park's visual appeal. The project addresses several longstanding challenges, such as limited parking, outdated facilities, and the need for improved trail conditions. By adding more parking spaces, installing modern restrooms, and constructing accessible pathways, the enhancements contribute to a safer and more enjoyable experience for visitors. Additionally, the revegetation efforts help restore natural habitats and mitigate the ecological impacts of urbanization on the local environment. In total, more than two dozen mature saguaros were replanted in the newly reopened Dreamy Draw Recreation Area, creating an “immediate visual impact,” particularly along Route 51. The Mountain Parks and Preserves Committee held a meeting on Monday evening to review the revegetation work completed over the summer, with the area reopening on September 7. Of the 58 cacti planted in this project, 27 saguaros—referred to as "reclamation saguaros" by Wayne Colebank, a landscape architect on the project—were previously stored by Phoenix Water Services at the 24th Street Water Treatment Plant near Lincoln Drive and 24th Street. (1-11)
A saguaro newly replanted at the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area is supported after its recent transplantation from the 24th Street water treatment facility.
Carrie Garcia
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
- Promotion of cultural diversity
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Environmental Degradation
- Biodiversity loss
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
- Poor community engagement
Key priorities
Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Soil remediation and revegetation, Protection of natural ecosystems, Habitat restoration
Project objectives
The primary goals of the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area project were to:
1. Enhance visitor experience: Improve park amenities (park bikes, trails, sports equipment), accessibility, and overall enjoyment for park users .
2. Restore natural environment: Reintroduce native plant species and improve habitat conditions .
3. Improve park infrastructure: Upgrade existing facilities and construct new ones to meet the needs of visitors
4. Preserve the indigenous heritage of the place known as sacred for these communities (1-11).
Implementation activities
Before redevelopment, Dreamy Draw Recreation Area was an outdated park with limited accessibility features (1-11). The conditions of the trails leading from the park were a safety risk for visitors (1-11). A lack of native plant species in the area was also apparent (3). The Dreamy Draw Recreation Area project implemented several activities to address these identified problems:
1. The Mountain Parks and Preserves Committee held a meeting to review the planting project (3).
2. Reclaimed the 27 saguaros that had been stored by Phoenix Water Services by planting them at the park (3).
3. Planted in total 58 cacti in the recreation area (3).
4. Utilized hydroseeding, a technique that spreads seeds in a specialized slurry over bare ground to prevent soil erosion and often yield better results than other seeding practices (3).
5. Spread more than 20 native species of plant seeds including trees, all typical to the mountain environment (3).
6. Implemented a personal water system for the replanted saguaros (3).
7. Constructed new ramadas, ADA-accessible paths, expanded parking areas, and improved restrooms (1-11).
8. Restored the connected hiking trails to improve safety and user experience (1-11).
9. Implemented a routinely check on the the cacti and other plants to ensure their success (3).
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Urban heat islands, Indigenous or tribal communities
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Restore native species
- Restore endangered species
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: People with functional diversities, Indigenous communities
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department served as the primary leader for the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area project, overseeing all aspects of planning, design, construction, and ongoing management. Their role was essential in guiding the project from inception through completion.
Additionally, the City of Phoenix Water Services Department collaborated closely on the water pipeline component of the project, which was integral to ensuring long-term water security for the area. This partnership between departments played a key role in addressing both recreational and resource needs in the park’s development. A private company was involved in construction as a subcontractor (1-2, 4, 7-8, 12)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Drought Pipeline Project (12) & Phoenix Parks and Preserve Initiative Program (11). )
Type of enablers
Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Water management and blue areas
- Reduced risk of damages by drought
- Achieved reduced risk of damages by drought
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Expected increased green space area
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Achieved increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Achieved reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
- Increased protection of threatened species
- Achieved increased protection of threatened species
- Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed
- Achieved increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Achieved increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Expected increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Protection of natural heritage
- Achieved protection of natural heritage
- Preserved spiritual and religious values
- Expected preserved spiritual and religious values
- Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Expected increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
azcentral. (n.d.). Iconic Phoenix park finally opens after 3 years of improvements. What's new at Dreamy Draw. [Source link];
2.
Phoenix Mountain Preservation Council (2023). PMPC Fall 2023 Newsletter . [Source link];
3.
Garcia-Delaney, K. (2023). Saguaros give Dreamy Draw Recreation Area new look. Daily Independent , [Source link];
4.
City of Phoenix (2023). Dreamy Draw Recreation Area Now Open. [Source link];
5.
City of Phoenix (2023). DREAMY DRAW PARK PROJECT. [Source link];
6.
PMPC (2023). Join us for a fall 2023 social event and hike . [Source link];
7.
Duda, J. (2023). Dreamy Draw reopens after completion of renovation and pipeline projects. Axios Phoenix , [Source link];
8.
Warren, J. (2023). Dreamy Draw Recreation Area reopens Thursday. ABC15 Arizona, [Source link];
9.
North Central News (2023). Dreamy Draw Park set to reopen. [Source link];
10.
Fernandez, M. (2023). Dreamy Draw reopening highlights longtime Phoenix trail. [Source link];
11.
Pritchard, E. (2023). 'People love these places': Dreamy Draw Recreation Area is reopening. 12News, [Source link];
12.
City of Phoenix (n.d.). Drought Pipeline Project . [Source link];
13.
Cserpnyak, H. (2024). Park Review . [Source link];
14.
Thorton, E. (2024). Google Park Review. [Source link];
15.
MAG - Arizona Demographics (2022). MAG - Arizona Demographics. [Source link];
Dreamy Draw Recreation Area
https://valleyrain.com/project/dreamy-draw-recreation-area/
Dreamy Draw Recreation Area
https://valleyrain.com/project/dreamy-draw-recreation-area/
Dreamy Draw Recreation Area
https://valleyrain.com/project/dreamy-draw-recreation-area/
Dreamy Draw Recreation Area
https://valleyrain.com/project/dreamy-draw-recreation-area/
Dreamy Draw Recreation Area
https://valleyrain.com/project/dreamy-draw-recreation-area/
Dreamy Draw Recreation Area
https://valleyrain.com/project/dreamy-draw-recreation-area/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.